Pakistani politician in exile Altaf Hussain, who is seeking asylum in India, sang ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha, Hindustan Humara’ in a television debate on Republic TV last night.
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Hussain was speaking about how there was communal harmony earlier and Hindus would go to Muslims’ place on Eid and vice versa on Diwali. “Anyone who differentiates on religion is an enemy of humanity,” he said. Republic TV’s Editor-in-chief then prodded him to sing, after he expressed his desire to sing. To that, Altaf Hussain started singing the Urdu song written by Mohammad Iqbal in 1904.
Altaf Hussain, the founder of Pakistani political party MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) has requested PM Narendra Modi to grant him asylum in India. MQM is one of Pakistan’s main political parties and its founder Hussain has been living in exile in the UK since 1992.
As per reports, Hussain has also requested for financial assistance from PM Modi. Hussain made this request via a video message after his bail conditions were relaxed recently. Hussain was arrested in June this year over charges of making ‘violence-inciting statements’ against the Pakistani establishment.
Hussain has stated in the video message that the Indian Supreme Court is right to favour Hindus in the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict. He added that Muslims do not have a claim over the site. Hussain has also added that the current Indian government has the right to establish a ‘Hindu Raj’ and if politicians like Owaisi do not like it, they can move to Pakistan where a Muslim homeland has already been established for them.
Hussain has also stated that if the Modi government cannot grant him and his colleagues an asylum, they should at least provide him money and some resources so he could take the Pakistan government to the ICJ over atrocities on Sindhis, Baloch and all other ethnic minority groups.
He added that he wants to visit India because his grandfather, grandmother and many of his relatives are buried here. He has also promised that he is a ‘peaceful person’ and he will not interfere in any kind of politics. He wants PM Modi to grant him asylum along with his colleagues because all his assets in Karachi have been taken over by Pakistani governments over the years.
Hussain has been severely critical of Pakistani governments over the years. As the leader of the ‘Muhajirs’-Muslims from India who had migrated to Pakistan during the partition, he had time and again attacked the ruling Pakistani political leaders and policies.
It is notable here that Hussain’s MQM was once the third-largest party in Pakistan, representing mostly ‘Muhajirs’ in Karachi and Hyderabad region. Hussain had to leave Pakistan after being hounded by the ruling parties. He still holds considerable sway in Pakistan’s politics.