Hale’s nomination still needs to be confirmed by the Senate. Hale, a career diplomat and Middle East expert, would replace Richard Olson, who has held the post since 2012. President Barack Obama nominated David Hale, the current ambassador to Lebanon, to become the new envoy to Pakistan on Tuesday ( AP). Obama nominates new ambassador to Pakistan Senior MQM figure Farooq Sattar told Pakistan’s Geo News that the raid was “inappropriate and beyond understanding,” adding that the party has “always maintained its policy of zero tolerance against crime and terrorism” ( BBC). After the early morning raid, MQM supporters gathered on the street and called for a nationwide strike. The party has long been accused of using violence and intimidation to control the port city of Karachi and its leader, Altaf Hussain, lives in self-imposed exile in London, where he is being investigated over money laundering allegations. Tahir Mahmood said the troops acted on information that MQM was hiding criminals and that a large cache of weapons was recovered. The MQM remains the single largest party in Karachi for decades now and have dominated the political landscape for years sweeping provincial and national elections but since the clean-up operation began on the orders of the centre, the party has come under intense pressure.Pakistani Security forces on Wednesday raided the headquarters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan’s fourth biggest political party, sparking street protests ( Dawn, ET). "Enough is enough we cannot side with anti-Pakistan statements or ideology," said another MQM leader Aamir Liaquat Hussain. "Altaf Hussain and the entire party are being ridiculed due to these statements," Sattar added. It is totally against our policy to use violence to achieve our ends," he added. "We totally disassociate ourselves from the violence that took place in Karachi on Monday. "The MQM should operate from Pakistan alone," Sattar said. Senior MQM leader Farooq Sattar and other leaders said that in future the party would operate from Pakistan alone and that all decisions would be taken by the leadership in Pakistan and not from London from where Hussain has controlled the MQM for years now. The senior membership of MQM confirmed that they are no longer under the directive of Hussain. Responding to the protests, paramilitary rangers launched a major offensive here and sealed offices of the party. The hunger strike was launched to protest the disappearance and arrest of their workers by the paramilitary rangers. MQM party workers took to streets on Monday after Hussain, in an address from London, incited them to storm media outlets and chant anti-Pakistan slogans during the hunger strike. The case pertains to the attack on ' ARY News' office, vandalising of property, arson and pelting of stones at police. Two cases have been filed against Hussain: one for treason for his anti-Pakistan speech to participants in the hunger strike organised by MQM and the other for inciting party workers to violent protests, Inspector General of Sindh AD Khawaja was quoted as saying by the Geo News. The protesters pelted stones and resorted to heavy aerial firing that killed one person and wounded others. Several journalists of various media organisation were attacked by the activists of the MQM. Hussain, leader of Mutthaida-E-Qaumi Movement - the single largest party in Karachi, was accused of raising anti-Pakistan slogans at a protest rally that turned violent. Supports of MQM hold a poster of chief Altaf Hussain.
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