MQM WITHDREW THE DECISION TO SUSPEND THE RELIEF WORK,
RESUMES RELIEF ACTIVITIES IN THE QUAKE-AFFECTED AREAS ON THE
ASSURANCES OF CIVIL AND MILITARY ADMINISTRATION

London – 9 November 2005

Dr Imran Farooq, Convenor of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) in a press conference held at the MQM International Secretariat in London declared that MQM has withdrawn the decision to suspend the relief work in the quake-affected areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP and has resumed its relief activities on the assurances of the civil and military administrations that protection to the MQM relief workers would be guaranteed. Mr Hafiz Ahmed Raza, Minister for Religious Affairs and Auqaf of Azad Kashmir also phoned London and spoke to Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and appealed to him to resume the relief work while also promised to help provide protection to the relief workers of the MQM and KKF.

Mr Tariq Jawaid, Senior Deputy Convenor, Mr Salim Shahzad and Mr Mohammad Anwar, Members Central Co-ordination Committee were also present in the Press Conference.

Complete text of Press Conference

Dear Journalists,

Good afternoon and Assalam o alaikum!

The purpose of this press conference is to inform the international community and the people of Pakistan about the reasons MQM has been forced to abandon its relief programme in Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir and NWFP for the earthquake victims.

As you are well aware that Pakistan suffered the worst earthquake of mankind on 8^th October 2005.  In these areas over three million people are homeless thousands are dead and over eighty thousand young, old, women and children are injured and maimed. As soon as we got the news of earthquake, the MQM leader Mr Altaf Hussain suspended all political activities and commenced the relief operation with MQM volunteers, doctors and paramedical staff. The MQM relief organisation, Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) started to move medicine as well as food and warm clothing to the affected families. We established relief camps and field hospitals in different areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP and the relief work of the KKF have continued day and night for the last one month. The MQM workers got to the most inaccessible areas where no one else had reached in time. Our volunteers took the relief goods over their shoulders on foot, risking their lives. During this time MQM has sent relief worth Rs 1.5 billion. MQM workers have also arranged the relief goods, thousands of tents and blankets from the USA, Gulf States, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Canada. The goods consists of tents, blankets, medicines and other relief goods, One team of MQM workers from the USA has reached China, where they are arranging for tents and blankets to be dispatched for the homeless in Pakistan.

This selfless effort of the MQM has been unanimously applauded by the people of Azad Kashmir, NWFP and Pakistan. Until last week Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) did not participate in any relief work for the earthquake victims. For the first three weeks when the condition was very difficult in the affected areas and all the roads were blocked, Jamat-e-Islami did not bother to participate in any relief activity there. As soon as Jamat-e-Islami workers arrived on the scene they raised slogans against the MQM and threatened the workers to remove relief camps and they also attacked our relief camps. The MQM workers showed restraint, however, on 8^th November 2005, the Jamat-e-Islami armed terrorists attacked our camps in Muzaffarabad and other areas where MQM has its relief camps and field hospitals and looted all the relief goods, medicines and destroyed medical equipments. They kidnapped the volunteers and tortured them. Mirpurkhas Kunri office bearer Zubair Yunus Bhatti who was working in the Muzaffarabad relief camp was abducted by Jamat-e-Islami terrorists, tortured and shot in the chest then thrown from the cliff. He is in a local hospital of Muzaffarabad in critical condition. Similarly, another volunteer Adil was abducted by Jamat-e-Islami terrorists he was blind folded and arms tied behind his back and tortured. He was abused that being a Kashmiri how could he work with the MQM people. “You should leave the MQM relief camp immediately or face dire consequences”. The Jamat-e-Islami terrorists attacked and injured more than two-dozen MQM volunteers in different earthquake affected areas where these volunteers were busy in relief activities.

The MQM leadership contacted the President, the Prime Minister and other government officials as soon as we got the news but no protection was provided to our volunteers. We tried for six hours to obtain help from high government officials but to no avail.

We went to Kashmir and NWFP to assist the earthquake victims not to be shot and killed, tortured or intimidated by the armed terrorists of the Jamat-e-Islami. Despite continuous attempts to gain protection, we failed in gaining protection. We were left with no choice but to abandon our camps with a heavy heart. The fact is that we were being forced on gunpoint to abandon our relief activities in the affected areas. Just yesterday we deeply regretted this situation and with a heavy heart announce that we will be suspending our relief activities in the earthquake affected areas.

Whatever relief we have provided to the affected areas was for humanity and there is no political consideration. The MQM wants to serve humanity in distress. Millions of people of Azad Kashmir and NWFP are witness of this selfless act of MQM. The people of Kashmir and NWFP are better judges as to who is their true friend who want to serve them sincerely and who are using them for political purpose.

Dear Journalists,

After having read the announcement of the suspension of the relief work by Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), not only the affected people of Azad Kashmir and NWFP but generally people from Pakistan and those Pakistanis living in different countries frantically expressed their regret and concerns on the situation. They also expressed their anger and the fury on the horrid act of Jamat-e-Islami and appealed to the MQM to continue its relief activities in Azad Kashmir and NWFP. Besides the people in general, the higher ups in Civil and Military administration contacted the leaderships of the MQM.

Dear journalists,

This morning, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr Shaukat Aziz had a detailed conversation with Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) from Islamabad and he gave assurances to provide protection to our relief workers, besides, him similar assurances were provided by the Civil and Military administration also. Mr Hafiz Ahmed Raza, Minster of Religious Affairs and Auqaf of Azad Kashmir also spoke to Mr Altaf Hussain and appealed to resume the relief activities while condemning the atrocities of Jamat-e-Islami. Having considered the appeal of the Prime Minster, Civil and Military Administration and above all the people of the affected areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP, MQM and KKF (Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation) has decided to resume the relief activities while this decision has been ratified by Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of the MQM. We have instructed the leaders and workers to resume the relief work.

Dear Journalists,

We hope that the assurances provided would be carried out and no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hand and workers who are working round the clock in difficult conditions could continue their work in safety.  

Thank you for attending the press conference.

Dr Imran Farooq

MQM Convenor