All Political Parties Must Use Peaceful way of Dialogue and
Negotiation Instead of Confrontation – Altaf Hussain

London-08 February 2008

Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) said that all the political parties putting their differences aside resort to understanding rather than confrontation and accept each others existence in the light of the dangers posed to Pakistan to ensure that Pakistan does not only exist but people do also have national harmony. He vehemently demanded for the total provincial autonomy for all 4 provinces and the rights of the people of the provinces over their resources must be honoured.

Mr Altaf Hussain expressed these views during his telephonic address to large electioneering gatherings from London to Qasimabad, a neighbourhood in Hyderabad, Satellite Ground in Mirpurkhas and Ghanta Chowk in Sukkur simultaneously. Muslim League leaders Mr Qurban Ali Shah, Zulfiquar Ali Shah and Tahir Shah besides Sindhi speaking elders, women, youth, office bearers and nominated candidates of MQM attended these rallies.

Mr Altaf Hussain stated that MQM desires the promotion of the message of peace and love of the revered saint and poet of Sindh Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, peace be established in the world including Sindh and Pakistan, murder, mayhem and wars shall cease throughout the world, the countries shall genuinely respect each others independence and sovereignty, establish friendship on the basis of equality instead of wars and help each other. He further said that MQM desires that for sake of the sacrifices of the revered and blessed saints Shah Latif, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sachal Sarmast and other saints the God Almighty shall instil the sense of love, solidarity and brotherhood amongst the people throughout Pakistan in particular Sindh and devotion to help each other instead of hatred. He further emphasised that respecting the ideologies of their own parties people shall respect other parties ideologies irrespective of their political affiliations. He said that within the democratic dispensations that all political parties present their ideologies to the people and leaves the conclusions to them as to which party they like because every individual has a right to join parties of his likeness and it is therefore, all political parties shall respect each other and settle their political and ideological differences through peaceful negotiations and dialogues instead of confrontations.  

Mr Altaf Hussain said that Pakistan has already suffered as a result of politics of confrontation and vendetta in the past 60 years. Continuing with his point of view, he said that our eastern wing separating from us emerged as an independent country on the map of the world in 1971. He added that different governments in its periods politically victimised its oppositions instead of treating as a fellow countrymen, political oppositions incarcerated in jails by being framed in false cases and hatred was promoted as a result the country suffered from degeneration instead of national integration. He stressed that if all the political parties are prepared to manifest positive thinking and steps in future then we would not only fail the international conspiracies against Pakistan but we would also vigorously defend the conspiracies against Pakistan through our unity.

Mr Altaf Hussain said it is essential to grant provincial autonomy to all 4 provinces for the sustenance and stability of the country as well as national pluralism. The rights of the people of the provinces shall be honoured over the resources of their respective provinces. He said Sindh province contributes 70 per cent of its revenue to the national exchequer but it gets a minimal share in return. He stressed that people of Punjab, Balochistan, Pakhtunkhaw and Sindh provinces shall not be victimised on the issues of NFC (National Finance Commission) Award and distribution of water. The first and foremost reason of the victimisation of Sindh by the Centre is the disunity of the people of Sindh. It is poignant to note that the mills, factories and houses were looted and set ablaze, workers were roasted alive and thousands of vehicles were torched and a particular community was subjected to victimisation on the martyrdom of internationally renowned daughter of Sindh Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto, while she was in fact, assassinated in Rawalpindi, Punjab. He enquired that Benazir was murdered in Rawalpindi then why people of Sindh was victimised. A conspiracy was beset to foster ethno-linguistic rioting in Sindh behind killings, loot and arson in Sindh province. He said that the interests, hearth and heritage of the permanent citizens of Sindh is associated with the soil of Sindh, they earn there, they spend there, they are born and buried there and their dead bodies are not transported to other provinces. The interests of the permanent citizens of Sindh are embedded in the social fabrics of Sindh province while conspirators pitting the permanent citizens of Sindh are the biggest beneficiaries who plunder the wealth of Sindh as a result of their conflicts. He added that the conspirators wish that the permanent citizens of Sindh comprising Baloch, Punjabi, Pukhtun, Sindhi speaking and Urdu speaking Sindhis are pitted against each other while they continue to plunder wealth and resources of Sindh as well as rule over her. He said that the people of Sindh should reflect that by playing in the hands of conspirators, they are benefiting or hurting the interests of Sindh province.

Mr Altaf Hussain said that a coterie of people consisting of feudal lords, army generals and bureaucrats belonging to different provinces tied in familial relationships have been ruling the country for the past 60 years but these conspirators have been pitting Sindhi-speaking Sindhi and Urdu-speaking Sindhi against each other to annul development of friendly relationship and understanding between them. He said that the permanent citizens of Sindh must ponder as to who is forcing this act and who the benificairy is of this act? Now is the time for the people permanently living in Sindh to decide that they must now only stand for the rights of Sindh as its permanent citizens. He added that the so-called champions of Sindh, the nationalists do not speak of embracing the Urdu-speaking Sindhis, defy integration and spit venom against them while the same nationalists have dialogues with the people of other provinces and embrace them. He stated that whoever ruled Sindh, despite having being claimed as old Sindhi, what stand did they take on the issues of NFC Award, Distribution of water and Kalabagh Dam and what did they do for the progress and development of Sindh?

Mr Altaf Hussain said that MQM was the part of the coalition government of Sindh and despite that it did not only defend the rights of Sindh on the issue of the Kalabagh Dam but also took solid stance on NFC Award claiming that until Sindh gets it appropriate share, the representative of the MQM would not sign the agreement. Enquiring from the participants, he asked whether the courageous stand MQM took on the Kalabagh dam and NFC Award was ever taken by the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League (N) or any other party? He stressed that when none of the party took the courageous stand similar to that of MQM then why the MQM who truly loves Sindh is not accepted from the core of the heart. Referring to the All Parties Conference held in London, Mr Altaf Hussain said that all the national parties were participants in it but only a single resolution against the MQM was passed unanimously that no party shall have a dialogue with the MQM. He said that this resolution was not only passed against the MQM but was an attempt to disgrace millions of people who support and voted for the MQM for the past 20 years. He said that all the political and religious parties participating in the APC (All Parties Conference) opposing the MQM proved that these parties by perpetuating the feudal rule are hell bent on destroying the remainder of Pakistan. He said that it is so because they have been trying that the message of the MQM representing the Working and Middle Classes do not reach Punjab, Pakhtunkhaw and Balochistan. He said that if the message and ideology is based on truth, it does disseminate. Despite conspiracies of the opposition, by the grace of God, the message of the MQM is reaching out to the people of Punjab, Pakhtunkhaw and Balochistan beyond Sindh. Today, a rally is taking place in Qasimabad, Sindhi speaking are present in large numbers in Sukkur and Mirpurkhas, people of Punjab, Balochistan and Pakhtunkhaw are awakening and now believing that if there is any party that can save the country as well as change the system, it is the MQM. Mr Altaf Hussain said that a few families have been ruling the country while Altaf Hussain is wishing to replace the familial rule by the rule of the people.