Addressing a press conference at his residence Mardan House upon his return on Tuesday, Syed warned that peace could not be restored in Karachi unless all stakeholders accepted each others’ right to mutual existence.
In an oblique reference to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), he said that those who were responsible for the May 12, 2007 violence were once trying to disturb the city. “I had scheduled my return on Sunday in order to spare [Karachi’s residents] problems but they brought Baba Haider Zaman in for a rally on the same day to create another May 12,” he alleged while explaining why he postponed his arrival. He was referring to a public gathering by a group demanding a separate Hazara province.
Syed said that the demand for a separate province was a right but those who demand a Hazara province should not allow others to use them for personal motives.
He expressed his concern over the firing on ANP activists and supporters at rallies in Malir when they were returning from receiving him at the airport. “Our activists were seriously injured while the administration was a silent spectator. We are peace-loving people but it should not be taken as a weakness.”
To a question, Syed said that he would raise voice for the neglected people of Karachi in the Senate and would try to rid people of extortionists and target killers. He once again demanded deweaponisation of Karachi and an operation against target killers, criminals and the land mafia.
He was not happy with the electronic media which he said did not give his party proper coverage. A seven-member committee will write to media organisations about this, he said.
The ANP Sindh has postponed its rally at the ground near Mazar-e-Quaid on March 23, because Asfandyar Wali Khan is not available and a new date will be announced later. Speaking about the party’s former spokesman Qadir Khan who joined the MQM on Monday, Syed said that he was a spokesman for Mardan House only and did not have a party post.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2012.
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Karachi belongs to Pakistan. Pashtuns are Pakistanis so they have full right to live in Karachi. I see many Baloch, Pashtuns and Mohajirs in Punjab and Islamabad. We have never asked them to leave. Many of the Pashtuns who have recently moved to Karachi are from Waziristan. They have moved because of the war in Waziristan. Why is it that our very own people cannot be tolerated on our very own land when they are troubled? And before some one raises the question, YES, Pashtuns have moved to Punjab as well. Rawalpindi/Islamabad - you see many many Pashtuns. Never has a fight broken out in Punjab. And if people want it "rough," here is a bitter fact: Karachi is owned by Sindhis. If they have no problem with the Pashtuns, nobody else should have a problem with it.
You want it rough ? You will get it rougher , rest assured .
Shahi Syed- You have a whole province to yourself. Khyber Pukhtoonkwa is its name. Why not develop your own province and concentrate on it, rather than trying to snatch away Karachi from the muhajirs. We have no other place apart from Karachi and Hyderabad.