MQM WILL CONTEST THE FORTHCOMING GENERAL ELECTIONS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY – ALTAF HUSSAIN

ADDRESS TO THE MQM PUNJAB WORKERS CONVENTION ORGANISED AT THE AL-HAMRAA HALL IN LAHORE

Lahore – 18^th August 2007

MQM wants to abolish the medieval feudal system from the country and establish a true democratic system where there is no discrimination between the rich and poor and based on merit. The MQM will contest the forthcoming general elections from all over the country. When the MQM will come into power, properties of those who have looted the national exchequer will be confiscated, sold and the money will be deposited in the national coffers to be disbursed on the wellbeing of the oppressed and deprived. The people of Pakistan are today faced with the inept and failed foreign policies of the previous governments but the MQM’s foreign policy will base on friendly relations with all the neighbouring countries. We have continued to criticise other countries but have never looked upon our own mistakes and shortcomings and if we are not prepared to correct our thinking then Allah Almighty will not be able to save the remainder of the country. This was stated by the MQM Founder & Leader Mr Altaf Hussain while addressing the MQM Punjab Workers Convention organised at the Al-Hamra Hall in Lahore. Thousands of MQM workers and office bearers from 36 districts of Punjab attended this Convention including a large number of women. Also present were Members of MQM Coordination Committee and Haq Parast Members of National Assembly. The MQM Deputy Convenor Dr Farooq Sattar announced the names of the newly formed MQM Organiser for Punjab and other office bearers.

During his address Mr Hussain presented a detailed and impressive analysis of the 60 years of Pakistan’s independence. He said that if we compare Pakistan with other countries of the same age then we realise what we have gained in the 60 years or have wasted this time like an insensitive nation. We were not even able to keep the country to save and lost half of Pakistan. The country is passing through a very critical phase and it is not only the responsibility of a few but everyone because every citizen of Pakistan belonging to every walk of life has the right and duty to play a proactive role in the prosperity and development of the country. He asked the participants if they considered Pakistan as an independent nation. Why the millions of Pakistanis do not have the right to vote freely and independently? Pakistan gained independence a day before India so it should have been in front of India in every department but the fact is that be it the field of computer technology, electronics, industry, trade or any walk of life, India is ahead of Pakistan. The nation is being hoodwinked and deceived whereas historical facts inform us that Pakistan and India fought three wars but none was won by Pakistan. He said that the reason of India’s progress and prosperity lies in the fact that they abolished the feudal system soon after independence whereas even after 60 years we have not been able to do away with our medieval and antiquated feudal system. Big feudal lords and investors have taken loans worth billions of rupees and then had these written off – as the government is their fiefdom and the national exchequer their property. He asserted that we must now decide whether this country belongs to its 15 crore Pakistanis or is the property of 2 percent feudal lords, waderas and sardars. This real root cause is neither seen to be discussed in television debates nor in any other seminars. The only debate witnessed is whether Benazir Bhutto will become the next Prime Minister or will it be Nawaz Sharif? The President will remove the uniform or not? Even while discussing the exiled political leaders return to the country – they only talk of the permission to return for Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif but no one speaks of permitting Altaf Hussain to return to the country. It is being said by some that Altaf Hussain went into exile on his own accord; his party is in the government and so who is stopping him from returning to Pakistan. He reminded that the fleeing of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif from the country is very different from his leaving the country because at the time when he left the country not a single case was registered against him. After several assassination attempts including the bomb attack, the Members of Central Committee requested me to lead the party from abroad. He said that he never came into the rule nor any member of his family became the member of assemblies whereas there is not a single party where its leader has not come into power and has also not brought their family members into power. Familial politics is in vogue in the country for the past 60 years, a few families and their children come into power. This is not a democratic or a peoples system. The true democratic system can be witnessed in the MQM where its leader or its family members do not contest the elections – and the party ticket is awarded to party workers.

Addressing the people of Pakistan Mr Hussain said that we too are responsible for continued feudal system in Pakistan as we make these feudals, waderas and sardars as our leaders, who have no experience of poverty and hardship. He asked are we going to repeat our mistakes. Mr Hussain announced that the MQM will contest the forthcoming general elections from all over the country. We are not concerned with the number of votes we will get – our mission to further our struggle to every city and corner of the country. Our mission is to provide employment, water, electricity and other basic necessities to the common people of Pakistan. When the MQM will come into power, properties of those who have looted the national exchequer will be confiscated, sold and the money will be deposited in the national coffers to be disbursed on the wellbeing of the oppressed and deprived.

The people of Pakistan have been engaged by the political and religious leaders of the country in the fruitless debate criticising Russia, America, India and other countries as bad and that these countries dictate their policies to Pakistan. The question is why the country has not been strengthened so that instead we become able to dictate others rather than take dictation. Quoting the Holy Quran Mr Hussain said that even the Allah Almighty does not change men’s condition unless they change their inner selves. Our state has not changed so far because we have never tried to change ourselves. We will continue to ask for loans from the World Bank and the IMF until the time we decide to work laboriously and raise the standard of the country to such a state where we will not have the need to take aid or ask for loans. He said that we as a nation instead of looking at our own mistakes and faults always criticise and blame others for our shortcomings. We never thought why we cannot produce the products manufactured by other countries. Why do we rely on foreign products? Why do we not create small industries in the country where poor can get employment, country’s production grows and can also be exported. We use the foreign medicines and other products and therefore become dependent on these. A large number of Pakistani scientists and experts are reached high offices in America, Britain and other developing countries, which proves that Pakistan is not short of knowledge, intellect and wisdom as compared to other nations. We can do a lot but our system is so corrupt that if anyone tries to do something he or she is not allowed to do so. We are still wandering in the dark because our thinking has been directed towards the wrong direction. We have to straighten and aligned our thinking, stop blaming others and accept our shortcomings and ignorance; equip ourselves with knowledge and skills and thus strengthen the country. We must hold such people to account who are trying to stop the spread of knowledge. He asked the participants to pledge to gain knowledge, skills, work hard, progress themselves and work for the progress of the country, adopt sincerity and honesty, accept with open hearts people of all the provinces irrespective of their language, cast, colour, religious or school of thought. We must also pledge to struggle for the abolishment of the feudal system from the country and establish a true democratic system where there is no discrimination between the rich and poor and based on merit only and not wealth.

Mr Hussain asked why the people of Pakistan were made to participate in the Cold War of two super powers America and Russia. Several defence analysts claim that otherwise Russian would have come to Pakistan. How Russia would have come to Pakistan – did we not have the army and the nation? If we had demonstrated courage then neither Russia nor America would have come. The same mullahs who until late were proclaiming Russia as infidels and American as ahle-kitaab (Holy Book brothers); are now criticising America. He said that today we are facing the affects of past foreign policies. We do not have friendly relations with India, Iran and Afghanistan; China has been our only friend but as a result of our policies China is also in doubt. He announced that if the MQM comes into power it will ensure friendly, brotherly and honourable relationship with the neighbouring countries.