London – 18 September 2000
Mr Altaf Hussain, the Founder and leader of the MQM said that we do not wish to break up Pakistan. But the survival of Pakistan lies in giving the legitimate rights to the smaller provinces. We should rebuild a new Pakistan, based on 1940 Lahore Resolution. We should learn a lesson from former East Pakistan and stop calling those as traitors who raise the voice of justice and rights. Mr. Altaf Hussain said that the province where Punjabi speaking live is called Punjab, where Sindhi speaking live is called is called Sindh, and where Balochi speaking live is called Balochistan then why where Pastho speaking people live cannot be allowed to call their province Pashtoonistan or Pashtoonkha. He said that Sindh is our land. We do not wish to see Sindh being divided. We do not want a separate province. We neither have any intention to be the master of Sindhis nor we like to enslave them. Sindhis are our brothers and we like to join hands with them in our struggle for the rights of the people of Sindh. Mr. Altaf Hussain expressed these views on Sunday evening in London at the Acton Town Hall, in a joint gathering of people from different provinces. The Convenor of PONM and the Leader of Balochistan National Party, Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal, the Chairman of Pashtoonkha Milli Awami Party, Mr. Mehmood Khan Achakzai, the son of the renowned leader of Sindh late G. M. Syed, Syed Imdad Mohammad Shah, Professor Mohammad Arif of British Afro-Asian Solidarity Organization, the Members of MQM Coordination Committee Mr. Tariq Javed, Mr Saleem Shahzad, and Mr Iftihkar Randhawa and the Organiser of MQM UK Mohammad Akbar also spoke in this public gathering, while Dr. Imran Farooq read the resolution at the end of the session.
Mr. Altaf Hussain said that the Titanic of Islamic Ummah is sinking. It is the need of the time that the pattern of branding those who demand their rights, as traitors must cease to end and all the people should be given their rights. He said that we do not want to break up Pakistan. We rather wish to see a stable and strong Pakistan. But we cannot accept a Pakistan where Punjabis are considered as solely loyal Pakistanis and Sindhis, Baloch, Pashtoons, Seraikis and Mohajirs are considered traitors. After stamping them as the “enemy” of the State and “traitors”, they are being assaulted by the military. He proposed to rebuild a new Pakistan where all the smaller nations should have their rights; those who ask for their genuine rights should be not crushed by the military. Sindhis, Baloch, Seraikis and Mohajirs should also be treated as human being. Mr Altaf Hussain, pointing towards the nationalist leaders present at the stage, suggested that this gathering is a warning to those who have crushed the struggle for the rights of smaller nations through the State might. He said that the Sindhis, Baloch and Pashtoons struggle for their rights with gallantry. Mohajirs have been the target of State atrocities for so long that they have changed their ways of complacency and now look into the eyes of the oppressor to challenge them -- to a point where a Mohajir child is not afraid of six foot tall army soldier. He said that we do not like to get rid of Punjabis. We do not hate them. But whenever we raise our voice in protest against the repression and corruption of the military, some from Punjab get furious and term our supplication against their wickedness as sedition and scheme against Punjab and Pakistan. He asked why they do not wish to hear the truth? This truth was articulated in 1971. But they refused to accept the truth and term those who spoke the truth as traitors. The Bengalis were attacked, resulting in the break-up of the country. They are refusing to face the truth and again calling those as traitors who speak as such. Today it feels like “deja vu” all over again. Mr. Altaf Hussain asked if the oppressor is called oppressor, why some people from Punjab feel exasperated. He said that Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Mahmood Achakzai, Syed Imdad Mohammad Shah or Altaf Hussain did not fire bullets on Kaba, but it was this very army. Why does it bother them when we bring out these realities?
He said that after the Hamoodur Rahaman’s Report has disclosed the barbarity of the army imparted upon their countrymen. Instead of offering apology for their wickedness and punishing those who committed atrocities, they have been busy in investigating who has leaked the report of their dirty misdeeds to the Indian Press. He said it is a matter of great shame that the generals are trying to find lame excuses to justify the surrender of a large number of Pakistani army and shifting the responsibility of defeat on each other. He said if he were the commander of that army in place of General Niazi, he would have shot himself first instead of surrendering to the enemy.
Mr. Altaf Hussain said that
General Musharraf is telling the nation that since thirty years have lapsed
since the tragedy of East Pakistan, the nation should forget it. He said that if the tragedy of East Pakistan
is only thirty years old then the fifty-three years have passed in the creation
of Pakistan. What General Musharraf
would say if the nation forgets that past?
Exhibiting different news reports of the involvement of Army in corruption, Mr Hussain said that these are newspaper reports and not MQM’s statements. Referring to the newspaper report of The News, he said that according to this report the army generals made billions of rupees in commission and kickbacks, however, the evidence has been buried. One of the generals involved in corruption is at present a member of General Musharraf’s Cabinet. He said that those who had looted and plundered the national wealth have no right to conduct accountability of others. On the one hand Dr Farooq Sattar has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in a false case, whereas on the other hand, those corrupt army generals are roaming free who have looted the national exchequer.
On the issue of “Pashtoonkhwa” Mr. Altaf Hussain said that the province where Punjabi speaking live is called Punjab, the province where Sindhi speaking live is called is called Sindh, and the province where Balochi speaking live is called Balochistan then why the province where Pastho speaking people live cannot be allowed to call Pashtoonistan or Pashtoonkha. Why it has to be called NWFP? Why the demand of Pashtoonkhwa is termed as discriminatory? Mr Hussain said that it is not prejudice to love ones own language and nation. Mr Hussain narrated a saying of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) that to love ones nation is not prejudice. However, it is bigotry when you support your nation when it oppresses others. He demanded that the custom to term the nation prejudice when it talks of its right should now be abandoned.
Mr Hussain said that the division of the Subcontinent was the biggest blunder of the history. On the one hand those Muslims of the Subcontinent, who gave more sacrifices than others, are still paying the price while living in India, whereas, on the other hand, their descendants in Pakistan are being called “traitors”.
Mr Hussain said that those who supported the army in the East Pakistan are languishing in the Red Cross Camps for the past 29 years. Their return to Pakistan is also being denied. Those at the helm of affairs have no feelings of the misery of the stranded Pakistanis. Through this indifference towards the Stranded Pakistanis, it is being preached that the same fate awaits all those who will support the Army. Mr Hussain said that he wrote numerous open letters to the Presidents, Prime Ministers, Chiefs of Army Staff and other chiefs of the armed forces, explaining in detail of the oppression upon the Mohajirs. Mr Hussain said that no attention was paid to his appeals, therefore, now he will write an open letter to the Indian Muslims and apprise them of the atrocities being inflicted upon the Mohajirs in Pakistan.
Addressing Sardar Attaullah Mengal, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and specially Syed Imdad Mohammad Shah, Mr Hussain requested them to deliver his message to the Sindhi brothers that we too are the sons of Sindh Dharti. We do not want the division of Sindh province. We neither wish to create another province nor we want to create Jinnahpur. We do not want to become the Masters of Sindhis. We do not hate our Sindhi brothers nor do we hate the Sindhi Language. He said that he himself will start learning the Sindhi Language and would also appeal to all his compatriots to learn the Sindhi Language. To hate each other on the basis of language is an inhuman act. Sindh provides seventy percent revenue to the Centre but does not receive its due share. If the Sindhis and Mohajirs get united and the resources and revenues of Sindh province are returned to them then they will have so much that they would not only fulfil their needs but would also be able to give aid to others.