Altaf's address to hunger-strikers: Referendum announced for future plan
By Our Reporter


KARACHI, Aug 5: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain on Thursday announced that an intra-party referendum would be held to decide the future course of action after the party leaders ended their hunger strike on Aug 9.

Addressing party activists telephonically at the hunger strikers' camp outside the Karachi Press Club, the MQM chief sought views of the party cadre on whether or not he should go on fast unto death to press for the acceptance of the rights of Mohajirs.

The MQM chief directed the party leadership to put separate referendum boxes at various units, sectors, and zones in Sindh, including one at the hunger strikers' camp. All the boxes would be opened in public on Aug 9, and the future strategy would be determined in view of the majority verdict given by the MQM supporters. Similar arrangements would also be made in the MQM overseas units.

The call for a referendum had come after seven top members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement resigned because of policy differences. The dissidents were insisting on "radical steps" for securing rights.

Mr Hussain said that the "indifferent" attitude of the people at the helm of affairs, including armed forces chiefs and chief justices, had left him totally disappointed.

The MQM chief elaborated that despite the party's repeated appeals to those authorities the extrajudicial killings, humiliation of women during police raids and other excesses were still continuing.

The MQM leader said that since he believed in a peaceful method, he had been trying to attract the attention of international organizations towards these excesses as well as the "persecution" through what he called the kangaroo ATC courts.

He appealed to the Sindhis to come forward and associate themselves with the struggle aimed at pulling Sindh out of the influence of Punjab.

He urged Sindhis not to repose trust in those leaders who had betrayed them.

He described those leaders as the "agents of Punjab."

"I don't want to take the name of anyone but all the leaders belonging to Sindh were the agents of Punjab," said the Muttahida chief.

Mr Hussain stated that he was ready to struggle with Sindhis for their rights, within the parameters of the Constitution, whether or not they supported the Mohajirs.

To a question, he said that the MQM coordination committee would decide about the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz's plan to observe Aug 14 as the day of independence from Punjab.

He, however, endorsed the call given by the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz.

Mr Hussain favoured that the federal government should be left only with the matters of defence, foreign affairs, currency and should not be allowed to interfere in the affairs of the federating units.

The Muttahida chief warned that a time could come when the people of Sindh would demand the right of self-determination, if their rights continued to be denied and provincial autonomy was bypassed.

AFTAB SHAIKH: Later in a news briefing, Senator Aftab Shaikh said that the people of various parts of the province would assemble at the MQM's camp in Karachi to express solidarity with the hunger strikers and to decide about the future course.

According to the plan, he said, a memorandum would be handed over to the Sindh governor by the MQM leaders who would march to his official residence.

Mr Shaikh said that so far the struggle had remained peaceful and had not taken any extreme measure for which the dissidents, who had resigned, had been pleading.

But if the regime remained indifferent, he warned, the party would be compelled to bring the people on roads and pay back in the same coin.

Senator Aftab Shaikh flayed the disconnection of his mobile telephone without any reason, and accused the government of pressuring the telephone company to do so.

Muttahida invites US envoy to visit protest camp
Altaf's address to hunger-strikers: Referendum announced for future plan
Petition received Mr. Saul Pelle (Administrative Secretary) on behalf of Foreign Minister R.S.A Dr. Zuma. 2nd petition received Mr. Moonsamy (Adminstrative Secretary) on behalf of President R.S.A Mr. Thabo Mbeki.
Senator Nasreen Jalil, Hassan Musanna Alvi MNA, Mujtuba Bhatti Organiser of MQM Punjab and the members of Elder Wing and Ladies Wing are observing hunger strike at Karachi Press Club on dated 03 August 1999.
Members of the Provincial Assembly Sindh, Pakistan, Mr. Arif Siddiqi and Mr. Farrukh Naeem observing the hunger strike at front of the United Nation Secretariat (UNO) in New York
PHOTOGRAPHS OF MQM HUNGER STRIKE RALLY IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN
MASS ARREST OF MQM WORKERS IN KARACHI AND OTHER PARTS OF SINDH BY THE POLICE IN THE WAKE OF MQM HUNGER STRIKE IN KARACHI AND INTERNATIONALLY
MQM Restarts the hunger strike in Karachi, Pakistan
Photographs of the MQM Hunger Strikers protesting against the genocide of the Mohajir Nation in Karachi, Sindh province, Southern Pakistan
Senator Nasreen Jalil, Mr. Nawab Mirza Advocate, Former Speaker SIndh Assembly and Dr. Nishat Mallick, Member National Assembly observing hunger strike at the Karachi Press Club
MQM Hunger Strike in Karachi, Pakistan --- Second Day
Hunger strike camp of MQM uprooted in Karachi
Pakistani police ransack ethnic party's protest camp
HUNGER STRIKE CAMP OF MQM UPROOTED AND HUNGER STRIKERS TORTURED AND UNLAWFULLY DETAINED
Photographs of the MQM Hunger Strikers protesting against the genocide of the Mohajir Nation in Karachi, Sindh province, Southern Pakistan.
MQM Global Hunger Strike in London
The MQM Hunger Strikers protesting against the genocide of the Mohajir Nation in Karachi, Sindh province, Southern Pakistan, opposite White House, Washington DC, Toronto, Montreal. The genocide is being committed by the Nawaz Sharif Government.
MQM STARTS INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN
Karachi protest at 'police brutality'
FOURTH DAY OF MQM's GLOBAL PROTEST AGAINST ATROCITIES UPON MOHAJIR NATION IN PAKISTAN
MQM to launch hunger strike from today
THIRD DAY OF MQM's GLOBAL PROTEST AGAINST ATROCITIES UPON MOHAJIR NATION IN PAKISTAN
Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi MNA and Deputy Convenor of MQM Co-ordination Commitee and other MQM workers observe the hunger strike in front of White House in Washington DC, USA
SECOND DAY OF MQM'S GLOBAL PROTEST AGAINST ATROCITIES UPON MOHAJIRS IN PAKSITAN
MQM LAUNCHES A GLOBAL PROTEST AGAINST GENOCIDE OF MOHAJIRS
HANDBILLS DISTRIBUTED AT 10 DOWNING STREET
MQM workers observe hunger strike in London
MQM TO HOLD WORLD WIDE PROTESTS INCLUDING HUNGER STRIKES