MQM to bring revolution in Punjab, The Nation (26 April 2010)
LAHORE/RAWALPINDI/MULTAN - Muttahida Quami Movement Chief Altaf Hussain while
predicting a massive revolution in Punjab against those, who have been
responsible for depriving the masses of their rights, appealed to the people of
the province to rise against the plunderers of national wealth.
He was addressing the MQM convention held simultaneously in Lahore, Multan and
Rawalpindi. In Lahore, Deputy Convenor MQM Coordination Committee Dr Farooq
Sattar, Mustafa Kamal, Faisal Sabzwari, leaders of MQM, Punjab chapter and
several other members of the party attended the event.
Proposing creation of new provinces on administrative grounds, Altaf said the
formation of new provinces, as proposed by him, would further strengthen the
Federation.
Describing the MQM convention as the beginning of a sort of revolution against
the excesses, perpetrated by the feudal and capitalists of the Punjab, he urged
the people of the province to rise against such elements in a bid to snatch back
their rights, as the angels would not descend from heavens to solve their
problems.
The MQM Chief said Lahore enjoyed historical importance, as Pakistan Resolution
had been observed here in 1940, which had laid the foundation of a new Muslim
state.
The people of Punjab assembled in the City in 1940 to demand a new state for the
Muslims of the sub-continent, and today they had gathered in the same City to
save the country from the plunderers of national wealth and to end the
exploitation by the feudal and capitalists, he maintained.
Altaf Hussain further said the historical convention had laid the foundation
stone of the struggle aimed at saving the people of the country and especially
the largest province of the Pakistan from the excesses perpetrated by the
feudals and the capitalists.
Warning the plunderers of national wealth, as well as feudals and capitalists to
end their wrongdoings, he said MQM was coming to Punjab with the support of the
98 per cent oppressed classes to wipe out the exploiters’ groups.
The MQM Chief said he had been tagged as a terrorist and anti-state element
because he had enjoyed the support of the middle and working classes of this
country, asserting such allegations had never interrupted his struggle for the
rights of the working classes.
He said: “Altaf is not a paper lion but he is a lion in reality and he will not
let the oppressors deprive the 98 per cent poor and middle classes of their
rights.”
He said he had also been accused of giving negative remarks against Dr Allama
Iqbal, while he instead disseminated the real message of the visionary poet,
philosopher and thinker among the masses by raising voice in front of the tyrant
rulers.
“He is the enemy of all the plunderers of national wealth and his party would
get back the plundered wealth after coming into power and distribute it among
its real owners. The MQM will clear country’s debt by selling feudals’ land,”
Altaf added.
He said his party would distribute the huge land holdings among the working
classes of the country if it came to power. He said MQM would introduce one
system of education and health facilities for all besides ending energy crisis,
unemployment, price-hike and solve other problems faced by 98 per cent people of
this country if it was voted to power.
He claimed that his party was the sole political force that could solve the
issue of water and address demands of people of Hazara and southern Punjab and
Balochistan, while it would also settle the issue of Kashmir according to the
aspirations of the Kashmiris.
He deplored the fact that several elements had prevented MQM from spreading its
message in Punjab, but today’s successful conventions at Lahore, Rawalpindi and
Multan foiled all such conspiracies.
The MQM Chief congratulated the
people of Punjab for laying a people’s revolution foundation stone. He said MQM
convention had three slogans for Punjab: Revolution; end of victimisation
perpetrated by feudals and capitalists, and participation of working class in
the corridors of power.
Meanwhile, the MQM succeeded in staging quite an impressive show in Lahore
despite the fact that most of the participants had come from Karachi and
Hyderabad, with only a small number of people from various parts of Punjab.
Several participants, who came here from various parts of Punjab, said that they
had joined the MQM ranks in the last few months, while many of them were the
former members of major political parties including PPP, PML-N and PML-Q. It
means that the MQM has remained successful in reaching out to the masses at the
grass root levels, which can enable it to get some political share in Punjab in
the times to come.
Meanwhile, the main feature of the MQM convention was party Chief Altaf
Hussain’s address, which started at about 5pm after a nearly two-hour long
delay. Before his address, party leaders and workers sang and danced to the
tunes of party song, ‘Mazloomon Ka Sathi Altaf Hussain’ and chanted slogans in
Altaf’s favour.
Altaf Hussain, to express his attachment with the people of Punjab and Punjabi,
recited folk poetry of Bullay Shah and also read the poetry of
Allama Iqbal.
Thousands of participants could be seen inside and outside the Alhamra Hall
where the programme took place, while a large number of party workers were
scattered at The Mall, Edgerton Road and the adjoining roads and surroundings.
The organisers had constituted several committees to manage the programme, which
looked after traffic, vigilance, media and stage, while guides were also deputed
at Egerton Road, The Mall and adjoining areas to assist the people in reaching
the venue.
The venue and surrounding were decorated with posters, banners and flags of the
party, while a big hoarding with the picture of Altaf Hussain was installed
behind the stage.
The convention was held amid tight security, which was jointly handled by the
police and MQM Vigilance Committee.
In Rawalpindi, a good number of people including men, women, youngsters and
children heard telephonic address of MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain here at Liaqat Bagh
on Sunday.
Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri while addressing the
gathering said that MQM was a big political party and it believed in politics of
principle. He said that MQM had entered Punjab and would change the fate of
downtrodden people of the province. He said that MQM would kick out all the
looters from the province who were busy sucking blood of the poor.
Ghauri was of the view that 98 per cent masses were being ruled by two percent
elite class and it was regrettable. “MQM after coming into power will free the
poor from the grasp of the elite class,” he added.
The Federal Minister said that his party would issue tickets to persons hailing
from middle class in the elections, as this was the only way to steer the
country out of crisis. He said that MQM would initiate in a net of development
work in Rawalpindi and turn it into Karachi.
He said that owing to wrong policies of the rulers, the destitute segments of
the society had been deprived of basic rights such as bread, cloth, shelter,
justice, health and education. He said that his party leader would provide basic
rights to the people at their doorsteps. He said that people had gathered to
save Pakistan and people should stand to snatch their basic rights from the
hands of elite class.
Addressing the convention, MQM leader Wasim Akhtar said that MQM, which was
country’s third and Sindh’s second largest political party, would soon become
the largest party in Pakistan. He urged the masses to bring forward their
representatives from the middle class. “How long shall we continue to vote for
the people, who have nothing to do with our class,” he maintained.
He said that they had raised their voice in the National Assembly on issues and
would try to bring the 19th Amendment.
Strict security measures had been taken by police on this occasion and
walkthrough gates were installed at the entrance points. City Traffic police
made special traffic plan and blocked all the roads leading to Liaqat Bagh and
diverted the traffic flow to some other alternative routes.
The MQM workers wearing national and party flags, and party caps reached Liaqat
Bagh even in hot day with portraits of their Quaid Altaf Hussain. They were
chanting slogans in favour of Altaf. The whole Liaqat Bagh as well as Benazir
Bhutto Road were decorated with huge portraits of Altaf and party flags.
In Multan, about 5,000 people from entire South Punjab had gathered at Kalma
Chowk to listen to MQM Chief Altaf Hussain’s telephonic address to the MQM
Punjab convention, independent sources said. Holding party flags and portraits
of Altaf Hussain, the MQM workers kept pouring in on cars, busses and other
vehicles from different areas like Vehari, Mailsi, Jahanian, Bahawalpur, Dera
Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Rahimyar Khan, Sadiqabad and Muzaffargarh throughout the
day. They also chanted slogans in favour of MQM.
Besides illuminating the venue, the MQM workers decorated the pandal with party
flags and Altaf Hussain’s portraits. Though the convention was scheduled to take
place inside Multan Arts Council, the organisers made arrangements outside the
council building on main road as the number of attendants exceeded than their
expectations. Besides others, MQM MNAs Haider Abbas Rizvi and Asif Hussain,
provincial minister Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, MPAs Rehan Zafar, Khalid bin Wilayat,
Shoaib Bokhari, members of Rabta Committee Wasim Aftab and Iftikhar Randhawa
were also present on this occasion.
Local police made strict security arrangements as the entrance to the pandal
from Kalma Chowk area was blocked and all participants were asked to park their
vehicles at District Sports Ground and come to the pandal on foot. Body scanners
were installed at the entrance of the pandal and all participants were frisked
with metal detectors by the cops before permitting entry.
Similarly, all streets and turns leading to Multan Arts Council from Bokhari
Colony and Nishtar area were cordoned off by the cops and no one was permitted
to move ahead.
The city witnessed worst-ever traffic jam after the convention had ended. Most
of the city roads were already dug and closed to traffic because of execution of
Prime Minister’s Development Project and the entry of unprecedented number of
vehicles made the situation even worse.