PAKISTAN IS IN GREAT DANGER – ALTAF HUSSAIN

Address to an important meeting of the office bearers of MQM Punjab at the Punjab House
 

London – 13^th January 2007

MQM Founder & Leader Mr Altaf Hussain has stated that Pakistan is in great danger. It is not at risk from the 98 percent poor and middleclass people of the country but if God forbid the country disintegrates then the privileged class that has ruled the country will be responsible as it was in the past. He asserted that it is not only his responsibility but every Pakistani should come forward to save the country and struggle to free the country from the clutches of the few and for the establishment of justice in the country. The country cannot be saved only with national songs but with justice, he said. He was expressing these views while addressing an important meeting of the office bearers of MQM Punjab at the Punjab House, the MQM’s provincial office in Lahore.

Mr Hussain said that the people of Pakistan are divided into two classes. The poor, lower middle class and middle class are considered as inferior class citizens whereas army generals, top bureaucrats, feudals, waderas, sardars and the rich are considered superior citizens. The Establishment considers only the superior citizens as human beings and acknowledges their rights whereas the lower cast inferior citizens have no resources, influence and even their rights are not acknowledged. The so-called superior class citizens are two percent and the lower class is the 98 percent and is considered as the subjects of the 2 percent. Mr Hussain said that with the support of the public and through democratic means the MQM wants to bring about a peaceful revolution in the country against the medieval feudal system. He said that no other party has been targeted with such propaganda campaign as against the MQM and Altaf Hussain simply because he belongs to the middle class. None of the leaders of other political or religious parties belong to the middle or poor class –they all come from feudal class. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto raised the slogan of roti, kapra aur makaan, for the poor people but he belonged to a feudal family; Benazir Bhutto comes from a feudal background and Nawaz Sharif belongs to the affluent class. The Establishment knew from the very first day that Altaf Hussain can become a danger to the prevalent medieval corrupt and unjust system in the country; therefore, he and his party were targeted with poisonous propaganda campaign.

Mr Hussain said that soon after we liberated the Mohajirs from the clutches of the so-called mullahs, it was decided to spread the MQM’s circle of influence and ground work for this purpose work began in 1990. We organised the historical national festival in 1990 and announced that the Mohajir Quami Movement will be transformed into Muttahida Quami Movement on 14^th August 1992. The Establishment panicked from this announcement and on 19^th June 1992 commenced an army operation against the MQM. During this operation innocent MQM workers were extrajudicially murdered, raids and arrests made and MQM offices sealed. Altaf Hussain’s image was portrayed in Sindh, Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan in such a manner as to present him as the enemy of Punjabis, Baloch, Pakhtoons, Sindhis and Seraikis. Especially in Punjab such was the extent of the poisonous propaganda that no one would be prepared even to listen to the MQM’s message. The Establishment’s policy was to socially and culturally isolate the MQM and Altaf Hussain from other communities, ethnic and linguistic identities of the country. This was part of the three pronged strategy of the Establishment that basically comprises of isolation, criminalization and demoralization. Isolation means to cut-off a person, a group of people or a community from other communities; criminalization means to present a worker of an ideological movement as a criminal and terrorist; demoralization means to demoralise the community through oppression and barbarism. Nearly every country of the world has utilised the same strategy against the people struggling for their legitimate rights. We were subject to oppression because we wanted to change the unjust system prevailing in the country and to free the country from the clutches of a few families. The people at the helm of affairs wish to maintain the status-quo whereas we are striving to break this status-quo. In the past, the country was disintegrated for maintaining the status-quo and today if the corrupt feudal system is continuously supported instead of worrying about the country, then the country will have to face difficult times.

He reminded people to see the lifestyle of the political and religious leaders who talk about improving the fate of the poor that they are either a feudal, wadera or a big industrialist. Those who have never experienced poverty, never been faced with hardship –how can they feel or understand the pain of poor and what sacrifices are they willing to offer. He asked that for how long will the people of  Punjab continue to run behind these leaders? The way of thinking and the acts of political party hugely differ from that of an ideological movement. When Bhutto was being hanged – then how many other leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party faced atrocities? Whereas not only the MQM workers but the leaders too have sacrificed in one form or another. Altaf Hussain was incarcerated three times and MQM Convener and other leadership has to go into exile.

He said that Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto twice each became the Prime Minister of the country, the national exchequer was looted in their eras and instead of any improvements for the public they constructed their own palaces and properties abroad as well as in the country. On the other hand Altaf Hussain who is the leader of the third largest political party of the country, his party has been in coalition governments but Altaf Hussain never made any property in his name nor has acquired any position, plot or permit for his sister or brother. Despite hundreds of false accusations against Altaf Hussain –there is not a single accusation that he has acquired any plot or permit for either himself or his family members. He said that the 2 percent privileged class has imposed itself on the 98 percent poor and middleclass. It is not only the fault of the 2 percent feudal class but in fact the 98 percent is more responsible because we have allowed them to enslave and oppress us. We don’t raise our voice against the oppression in fear of becoming the victim ourselves. Revolutions do not come about without sacrifices. Thousands of MQM workers offered their sacrifices, faced state oppression and as a result a revolution of poor and middleclass can now be witnessed in Sindh. Therefore the poor and deprived people of Punjab should also be prepared to offer sacrifices for the peaceful revolution. When the revolution will come then a just system will be established with no discrimination between the rich and the poor; everyone will be treated equally and the law will be the same for everyone regardless of their position.