ALTAF HUSSAIN BREATHES UNITY IN THE PEOPLE OF SINDH

BHIT SHAH: 25^TH DECEMBER 2010: 

The Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement Mr Altaf Hussain has said that Sindh played a leading role in the creation of Pakistan and now it will act as a vanguard in the struggle to free the country from thieves, looters and plunderers. “The people of Sindh, mothers, sisters, elders, youths, children, poets, writers and students have given practical demonstration by participating in the public meeting at Bhit Shah in hundreds of thousands that a public revolution on the lines of French Revolution can no longer be stopped. Time has come to free the country from the slavery of superpowers and so that it stands on its own feet.”

“The summoning of the head of ISI by a US court is reprehensible. If the government sent the ISI chief to USA on the summons issued by the US court, then the government will be wiped out.”

“Some people say that if MQM decides to quit the government then there will be ethnic riots and strife in Sindh but if MQM takes a decision on either remaining in the government or quitting the government, the people of Sindh will support MQM and foil the conspiracy to create strife in the province through their unity.”

Mr Altaf Hussain was speaking to a historic public meeting organized by MQM in Malakhra Stadium in Bhit Shah City. A multitude of people from cities, towns and villages of Interior Sindh participated in the meeting that included prominent social and political personalities, intellectuals, poets, journalists and writers.

Speaking on the occasion Mr Altaf Hussain said, “Today is the 135^th birthday of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Quaid-e-Azam gave a message of religious tolerance and moderation. Likewise, Christians world over are celebrating Christmas and Jesus Christ also taught peace and dignity to human beings. The Sufi poet of Sindh Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai also gave a message of peace and brotherhood. This is the very message of MQM and MQM is spreading this message of peace and brotherhood throughout Pakistan. Today MQM is not confined to Sindh alone, it has reached the Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of the country. It has become the heartbeat of oppressed and downtrodden people of the country. No one can now label MQM as an ethnic and linguistic organization.”

“The life and death of Urdu speaking people is tied to Sindh. They earn in Sindh, spend in Sindh and are buried in Sindh after their deaths. Sindhi and Urdu speaking people pitched against each other in the past through a conspiracy and once again attempt was being made to create hatred between them.” Mr Altaf Hussain asked the people if they wanted strife or unity? They crowd replied in one voice, “Unity”!He declared that that Bhit Shah Assembly would prove to be the last nail in the coffin of those elements that were conspiring to create strife among Urdu and Sindhi speaking people. He said that no one could create fighting among the permanent residents of Sindh whether they were Sindhi, Urdu Speaking, Punjabis, Baluch, Kashmiris and Seraikis. “No one can create strife and bad blood in the people whose life and death is tied with Sindh. They are the sons of Sindh and will remain one.”

Mr Altaf Hussain said that some people were spreading the rumour that if MQM parted ways with the government it would result in Sindhi-Muhajir ethnic riots. He asked the people if MQM decided to leave the government would they allow the conspiracy of riots and strife to succeed? The people replied in one voice, “Never”! He again asked the people if MQM took an independent decision of either remaining in the government or leaving it, would they support the MQM? The people replied, “Yes. We are with you”! He again asked the people if MQM was subjected to injustices and atrocities would they leave him in the hour of trial? The people roared, “Never”.

Mr Altaf Hussain said that the huge gathering at Bhit Shah has demonstrated that MQM was the only political party that was carrying forward the mission of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, Murtaza Bhutto Shaheed, Shah Nawaz Bhutto Shaheed, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, G M Syed, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Sachal Sarmast, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Baba Bullay Shah and other sufi saints.

Mr Altaf Hussain decried that those who claimed to be the true representatives of Sindh had done nothing practically to protect the interest of the province. “Everyone in Sindh knows that we opposed Kala Bagh Dam tooth and nail and took a bold stance on NFC award. We refused to sign the accord unless the province of Sindh was given its rightful share in the award. We raised voice for doing away with the concurrent list and for getting provincial autonomy.”

Mr Altaf Hussain said that MQM wanted to establish an equitable system in the country that would ensure the rights of the people of each province on their natural resources. The people of Punjab should have a right on the resources of Punjab, people of Baluchistan on their resources, people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on their resources, people of Azad Kashmir on their resources, people of Gilgit-Baltistan on their resources and the people of Sindh on their resources.

Mr Altaf Hussain said that Sindh was heading towards a change and hoped that in the coming elections educated and capable Sindhi would be elected instead of big landlords and waderas.

“Those who involved in karo-kari and killing of innocent women in the name of honour would be hanged publicly and those keeping poor people shackled in their personal jails would be dragged in chains on hot sands.”

Referring to the RGST (Reformed general Sales Tax), he said that prices were soaring with each passing day. He regretted that on one hand load shedding was done in electricity and gas while on the other hand government was planning to impose RGST. He asked the people if they approved RGST or rejected it and the people rejected it by raising their hands at his call. He warned the rulers that the people had rejected RGST and now instead of burdening the common people agricultural income of big landlords should be levied. He said that the landlords were rolling in money and had put on stake the national sovereignty by taking loans from IMF and World Bank.

Mr Altaf Hussain said that the people did not want a slave Pakistan: They wanted a country free from the domination of foreign powers. He said that the World Bank and IMF were always pushing for increasing tax on common people. They never pushed for bringing the agricultural income of the landlords in the tax net. He warned that if MQM formed a government then the agricultural income of big landlords will be taxed and the national wealth would be recovered from those who had looted and plundered the national wealth.

Mr Altaf Hussain demanded immediate repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui to Pakistan. He condemned the summoning of ISI chief by a US court and said that this large gathering of people rejects the summons of the US court and if the government tried to send ISI chief to USA then the government would be wiped out. “If the US courts would summon heads of our institutions then I would ask the Supreme Court to summon head of CIA and other US functionaries in Pakistani courts.”

Mr Hussain declared that if MQM came to power then the landed-estates established through ill-gotten money would be attached and the land would be distributed among poor peasants. The struggle against the oppression of landlords and feudalist forces that made women a victim of their tyranny and oppression would continue.

He told the people that Altaf Hussain was with them in their grief and happiness. “I am talking to you at a time when the people of Sindh are busy in a struggle to save them and Pakistan. No one will be able to conquer Sindh.” He asked the people to join hands with him in order to wage a concerted war for the rights of Sindh. “Sindh does not need deceitful nationalists. It needs its true sons”.

“This historic gathering of the people of Sindh at Bhit Shah was not only a manifestation of the unity of the people but also it would serve to save Pakistan and to put it on firm ground by freeing it from the slavery of foreign powers.”

“The world would see that no conspiracy to create feud among the permanent residents of Sindh would succeed. They will always remain united.”

In the end, he welcomed noted personalities who joined MQM and praised MQM workers, office-bearers for their untiring efforts for making the programme a success. He also thanked law-enforcing agencies for their role in providing security arrangements.