ALTAF HUSSAIN DEPLORES TALK SHOWS ABOUT UNIMPORTANT ISSUES

KARACHI: 10^TH OCTOBER 2010

MQM Founder and Leader Altaf Hussain has said that on the one hand there was devastation wrecked by floods and millions of people were faced with misery, hunger and helplessness while on the other hand leaders of religious and political parties were busy in heated debates on TV talk shows about the fate of government. He said that MQM was concentrating on helping the people affected by floods as best as possible.

He said that the struggle of MQM for weeding out the corrupt political culture in the shape of a revolution would continue till such time the revolution is ushered. He said this while addressing the inauguration ceremony of KKF ambulance service in seven more cities of the country. The inauguration ceremony was attended by traders, industrialists and other people from different segments of society. MQM Deputy Convener Dr. Farooq Sattar, caretaker of welfare activities of KKF and ex city Nazim Mustafa Kamal and member Co-ordination Committee Ashfaq Mangi also spoke on the occasion.

Mr. Hussain said that MQM was a political party with its own ideology, manifesto and political thought and philosophy and it seeks to introduce reforms in every department in Pakistan. He said that MQM had been continually serving the humanity for the past 32 years. He said that the politics of selfishness and personal gains has become a part of the political culture of the country and observed that in consequence of the corrupt political culture and feudalist and capitalist society, politics meant power and protection of family and party interests whereas MQM believed in serving the creation of God which could not be accomplished without helping the poor people.

He said that he could say it with confidence that MQM ever since its inception was the only political party that had been serving the people hit by calamities and accidents and the practical help rendered by MQM could not be matched by any other political party.

Referring about the earthquake that struck the vast areas of Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, he said that MQM was the only political party whose workers and leaders gave practical help to the victims for nearly one year. He claimed that no other political party or welfare organization worked in the earthquake area the way MQM did. He said that MQM workers risked their lives and reached those areas where other political parties and welfare organization could not even think of reaching. MQM workers negotiated all difficulties and not only reached those unreachable areas but also helped the people.

Talking about the recent floods Mr. Hussain said that millions of families were made homeless and lacks of homes and villages were washed away by the worst floods. Thousands of people including elderly, women and children lost their lives in the flood waters. MQM workers helped the affected people in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan. He informed the audience that relief goods worth 490 million had been distributed among the people without any discrimination of race, color, language or area and process continued.

He said that while millions of people were facing hunger and misery after the floods, unfortunately talk shows were being held on the issue if the appointment of the Chairman of NAB was right or wrong.  He said that the President has made the appointment if anyone thought it was wrong then there were several available options to challenge it but they should help the flood effectees.

On the other hand MQM was concentrating on helping the people in every possible manner. He said that a number of hurdles were created in MQM’s relief work because MQM was the only party that vocally said that flooding was a natural calamity and if the flood water was allowed to pass on without breaching the dykes and embankments, devastation on such a large scale could have been avoided.  He said that the main reason for devastation was the deliberate breaches by the landlords to save their property and wealth.

The landlords saved their lands and wealth and drowned the homes of poor people. He said that Allah would hold these feudal lords accountable for drowning the poor people.

He said that there was a wave of wakefulness in the youth and they were joining MQM in multitudes. He warned that a revolution was knocking at the doors of Pakistan. He said that the youth wanted a change that would end dynastic rule, nepotism, corruption, and exploitation of poor people – a change that would herald merit and where they could attain to a position by their ability.

He said that MQM is contrary to dynastic rules. MQM wanted a free and equitable society where the citizens are treated without prejudices of caste, color and creed.  He said that MQM would end exploitation of the poor at all levels, in every department.

He said that MQM would not only end the private jails but would see to it that the keepers of the private jails are themselves sent to jails for their crimes.

He vowed that MQM would distribute the land of those feudal lords who broke the embankments among the peasant affected by the breaches.

He said that the people of Pakistan wanted to establish prosperous and developed society based on justice and equality. He drew the attention of the audience specially the students towards the fact that whenever something was said from the platform of MQM in the interest of the country, after some months or years it comes true but a smear campaign was started against it.

He said that sometimes back he had informed about the infiltration of militants in the Punjab who were funded by the enemies of the country, but the Punjab government ridiculed and did not take it seriously. Soon afterwards the Sri Lankan team was attacked and now the situation has come to a pass where no cricket team was ready to play in Pakistan.

He said that the suicidal attack was done on GHO, ISI Offices, Police Headquarters, Training Centers and markets. Security personnel, police officers and people were injured and killed in thousands and  yet the presence of terrorists in the Punjab was denied.  He inquired if the terrorists who attacked Data Darbar descended from sky.

He said that when he warned about Talibanization in Karachi and terrorists making strongholds, the functionaries of Sindh Government started crying that MQM was conspiring against Pakhtoons, Punjabis, Balochs, Kashmiries and other non-Urdu speaking people in the city by speaking about Taliban. He said few days back there was a suicidal attack on the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi (RA). These terrorists live in those areas who deny them.

In Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa the shrine of Rehman Baba was blown up by bomb. He asked if he was wrong in his predictions.

Referring to the welfare activities of MQM, he said that the welfare activities of MQM and KKF dated back to 11^th June 1978 and now international wing of MQM welfare activities SUN has also started its work. He said that on one hand Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) has ambulance center, Hearse Services, free mobile dispensaries, hospital, blood bank and mortuary while on the other it provides monthly stipends to poor and deserving students. Orphans, widow sand needy persons and provision of dowries for the wedding of poor girls continue through out the year.

Informing about the relief activities of Society for Needy and Unwell (SUN) the international welfare organistation he said that SUN had sent relief goods worth millions of rupees from USA, Canada and Britain. Also Sun has provided 24 dialysis machines from USA.  He said that SUN had established a school in Karachi whose standard was at par with any other English Medium school of Karachi where admissions were granted on pure merit. Even the recommendations of Altaf Hussain and MQM’s Co-ordination Committee were of no avail.

He said that the confidence of the people in the welfare activities of KKF and Sun was increasing and hence the network of KKF was being expended to the whole of the country. He said that initially KKF was starting ambulance service in Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Tando Allahyar, Larkana, Sanghar in Sindh and Multan in the Punjab.

He lauded the efforts of MQM workers, office-bearers and parliamentarians for their round-the-clock relief activities for the flood victims. He said that it was because of continuous work of MQM workers who worked even for 72 hours continously and strengthen the banks by putting bags of sands and save the villages.

He also appreciated industrialists and traders, philanthropists and the public for their participation in the relief work.  He thanked media persons, TV channels, editors and camera men for showing the relief activities of MQM on their TV.