Date : 27th March, 1998.

Government ignoring economy, says Altaf Hussain

KARACHI, March 27: Chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Mr.Altaf Hussain has held the government and the establishment responsible of crushing itspolitical opponents and not concentrating on addressing economic problems owing to which the country hadreached near bankruptcy.

Addressing Mohajir elders on the 10th founding day of MohajirRabita Council on Thursday, he said that the government agencies were busy in creatinggroups and purchasing loyalties of the members of the opposition parties, while the "agencies whosejob is to defend the frontiers were busy in crushing the MQM,".

He condemned the implication of MQM workers and supporters in false cases. He alleged that "our own government agencies are involved inthe blood bath but the blame is being shifted on the Indian agents to fool the people." If everything was being done by the Indian agents, the question was how they entered Pakistan and what the security agencies were doing, he asked.

He said if Mohajir elders had taken a stand againstinjustices and discrimination, the youngsters would not have been forced to form the APMSO and MQM. Mr Hussain also condemned the recent killings in the city andsaid that haqiqi terrorists were involved in the bloodbath under the patronage of agencies.

He alleged that the incidents of March 23 were a signal to the government from the haqiqi terrorists that if any attempt was made to eliminate the "no-go areas", terrorand bloodbath would be un-leashed. He said it was the responsibility of the prime minister andthe chief minister to see that activities of Haqiqi terrorists comes to an end.