Business Recorder
WIRASAT HUSSNAIN
Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader demands provincial autonomy
KARACHI (April 20 2002) : Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain
has demanded a new Constitution based on the Lahore Resolution of 1940
guaranteeing equal representation to all the provinces in all the federal
institutions, including the armed forces.
He was addressing on phone from London a mammoth Sindh Solidarity Convention
held at Nishtar Park on Friday.
A large number of men and women from the remote interior of Sindh, Punjab,
Balochistan and the North West Frontier Province attended the convention.
Former MPAs, MNAs and Senators of the MQM were also present and supervising the
arrangements of the convention.
Nishtar Park was full to its brim and people not finding place inside the park
had to sit on the roads all around the park. The crowd could be seen occupying
roads leading to Quaid's mausoleum on M A Jinnah Road, Soldier Bazar, Mehfil-e-Shah
Khurasan up to Guru Mandir Chowrangi. Arrangements were made to relay Hussain's
address at different places in the city.
With regular intervals people raised slogans such as "Hum kiy chahtay hain?
Azadi azadi" (what do we want? Independence independence) "Sindh
Ittehad Zindabad" (Long live Sindh solidarity) and "Hamara rehbar
Altaf Hussain Altaf Hussain" (our leader Altaf Hussain).
Hussain said that Sindh wanted complete provincial autonomy, its due share in
the national resources and an end to the supremacy of Punjab.
He said if the establishment failed to implement the 1940 resolution and to
grant Sindh its due share the consequences would be disastrous.
He said, "In case of disappointment we would go to the United Nations and
ask for the right of self determination."
While talking about Sindh and the disappointments the Sindhis (both Sindhi and
Urdu speaking living in Sindh) have faced for the last 54 years, Hussain said
that the federal government was collecting 63 percent revenue from the 23.28
percent population of Pakistan living in Sindh. "In return Sindh gets 23
percent through the National Finance Commission (NFC)", he added.
He said, " The major chunk from the NFC goes to the Punjab whose
contribution to the national revenue is just about 23 percent."
Hussain said that his demand of provincial autonomy, new constitution and others
rights would be construed as anti-Pakistan posture. "But if the injustices
force Sindh to secede, would Pakistan survive? The establishment should know
that Pakistan is in being only because of Sindh. "Once Sindh disassociates
where would be Pakistan?"
He said the MQM was still strong and would fight for the rights of its people.
"We will chase our enemies till the last end. We will not be frightened by
their force and might. Since we will be fighting for the rights of Sindh the
chasers would find it difficult to catch us. All the forest of Sindh will
protect us."
He said he had left the decision to participate in the April 30 referendum to
the people and would not interfere with their decisions. "They may if they
wish to vote in referendum can do so on their own volition."
He said, " I would cast my vote in favour of General Pervez Musharraf if he
appears on the TV and announces complete provincial autonomy to Sindh as is
envisaged in the 1940 resolution."
He said he wanted to see Pakistan a prosperous, progressing and a powerful
country. Hussain said the Kashmir issue could have been solved much earlier but
for the vested interest it had remained unsolved. The establishment did not want
a Kashmir solution. As long as Kashmir issue was there, there were funds and
allocation of other resources. "We want a negotiated settlement of the
issue. We do not want war with India. I want good relations with our neighbours
including Iran, Afghanistan and India. There should be a union of these
neighbour on the pattern of the European Union."
Hussain condemned all kinds of terrorism and said that effective measures should
be adopted to curb terrorism. "I support General Musharraf in his fight
against sectarian terrorism."
Hussain discussed in detail the factors leading to discontentment among the
people of Sindh and demanded a judicious system to ensure rights and privileges
of the people of all the provinces. He said he was not against the Punjabis or
Pushtoons. "I am with the suppressed Punjabis and Pushtoons. I am tooth and
nail against the landed aristocrats, jagirdars, waderas and sardars who have
exploited their people and usurped their rights, and weakened Pakistan."
He gave his assessment of Maulana Noorani, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Benazir Bhutto
and Nawaz Sharif and criticised them for their failures and "dirty
politics."
Syed Imdad Hussain Shah in his brief remarks outright rejected the April 30
referendum and said, " We loathe President Musharraf's referendum."
He said he would have saluted the Pakistan Army had it been defending our
borders. "But they have looted and plundered our resources and chased
people like hungry wolfs."
While obliquely referring to the bureaucracy and armed forces he said, "We
are at war with usurpers who have forcefully occupied our land."
He lauded the new arrangement through which old and new Sindhis were coming
closer to each other and extended his support to further strengthen the new
relationship between them.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Shafi Karnani, Ahmed Ali Brohi, Baghat
Arjun Das and Dr Bashir R Mal.
Deputy Convenor of the MQM Aftab Ahmed Sheikh read out the following resolution,
which was adopted at the convention:
1. A new Constitution shall be framed in accordance with the sprit of the Lahore
Resolution of 1940 on the principle of parity to accommodate equal
representation of all provinces in all a federal institutions including the
armed forces. Whereas, parliament shall have the supremacy and provinces shall
have full autonomous status. The federation shall keep three subjects: defence,
foreign affairs and currency and the rest of the powers be vested to the
provincial legislatures and governments. Whereas, religious minorities and women
shall have equal rights and all types of discrimination and discriminatory
policies against them shall cease to exist. Whereas, local government system
shall be reconstituted in accordance with the aspirations and interests of the
peoples and this should be made a part of the constitution.
2. Whereas, plundering of resources including minerals, wealth and income on the
minority provinces including Sindh shall stop forthwith and equitable share be
granted to them under the NFC award.
3. Whereas, the water crisis of Sindh shall be resolved forthwith. The people of
Sindh have rejected the Thal Canal and Kalabagh Dam projects, no such project
shall be undertaken without the consensus of all the provinces.
4. Whereas, the process of retrenchment of the peoples of Sindh and Pakistan on
the pretext of downsizing, right sizing, privatisation and others shall stop and
the retrenched employees should be re-instead forthwith. Similarly those whose
hard-earned money has been squandered by the finance companies in Sindh shall be
compensated in the same manner as the affected of the co-operative scandal in
the province of Punjab.
5. Whereas, the people of Sindh not only condemn terrorism, sectarianism and
religious fanaticism but also support all such measures that have been taken to
combat this menace.
6. Whereas, an independent judicial commission shall be instituted to
investigate the cases of extra-judicial execution in Sindh, actions be taken
against the perpetrators in accordance with the recommendations of the
independent judicial commission.
7. Whereas, all the leaders and workers of the MQM and JSQM (Jeay Sindh Qaumi
Mahaz) including chairman JSQM Basheer Qureshi arbitrarily arrested should be
released forthwith.
Copyright 2002 Business Recorder (http://www.brecorder.com)