MQM leaders Farooq Sattar and Khalid Mehmood speaking in Karachi. PHOTO: PPI
KARACHI:
A day after the fiery speech of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief, its leaders came out to defend his words, insisting he never asked for a separate province. Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah is adamant the government will not succumb to the pressure to “undo” the amendment in the local government law.
MQM’s clarification
Addressing a joint press conference on Saturday, MQM deputy convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Dr Farooq Sattar attributed their leader’s statement to the uneven distribution of resources in the province.
“We are being pushed to the wall. Why is our mandate and right not being acknowledged? Why is an Urdu-speaking chief minister not appointed in the province? These questions have created resentment among the people living in urban areas,” said Sattar. He added that Altaf Hussain’s statement had been taken in the wrong context.
Siddiqui criticised the Sindhi nationalists who had started a campaign against the MQM leader’s remarks in rural Sindh. “They are always seeking an opportunity to promote their dirty politics and this is being done with our Quaid’s remarks,” he said, adding that the Urdu-speaking people living in rural areas were being threatened by the nationalists.
On LG law
Speaking to media on Saturday, the CM categorically said, “The Sindh Assembly passed the law and only they hold the right to retract it.” Shah reasoned that a majority of the political parties had voted in favour of the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 and the provincial government could not withdraw it through an executive order. He termed the act a pro-people legislation and said that the provincial government had taken all stakeholders and political parties into confidence before the delimitations of union councils, which, according to him, were supervised by the chief election commissioner.
Nationalists protest
At the same time, Sindhi nationalist party workers and lawyers continued their protests, sit-ins and rallies in all districts of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas against Altaf Hussain’s statement. “The MQM has been dreaming of dividing Sindh since the day the party was conceived,” lamented Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto) district president Irshad Khaskheli, who led his party’s protest outside the Hyderabad Press Club. Qaumi Awami Tehreek’s Ayaz Palijo has given 48 hours’ to the MQM to retract it’s leader’s statement and has also sought an apology from the MQM chief. Palijo has warned of a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike across the province on January 6.
Workers of Sindh Taraqi Pasand, QAT, Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and other nationalist parties protested in Matiari, Benazirabad, Badin, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, TM Khan, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and other districts.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2014.
COMMENTS (29)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Division of other provinces is the need of time and division of Sindh is traitory and attempt to break Pakistan. When will we end this hypocrisy and think for the betterment of Pakistan. For good administrative results every province can be and should be divided into 5 provinces each. Sindh is just a province and our Motherland is Pakistan.
The politician of Sindh (PPP) is to be making innocent or afraid Punjab Establishment. They didn't know the Province of Sindh is oneof the four province where 'rural' or 'urban' quotas. I think the proposal of QET is quite well and the 'urban' or 'rural' is helpful for stopping the difference between them. I hope all the Political Parties including PPP in Sindh accepted this forumula of QET for the benefit of Sindhi.
Sadly, many people are supporting "MQM" and PPP blindly, and they find strange excuses for its leaders. My only worry is that this blind and senseless "worship" of so-called "leaders" will lead us nowhere. If we do not have the country left, no one will be the winner at the end.. People tend to forget history. PPP, in its prime time, introduced quota system and established the ground for hatred among people of Sindh. Now this "quota" system is so well-established and strong, that no other government can even dare about abolishing it. Even, Gen. Zia could not do any thing on it. May God grant guidance to our people..
@Tariq: what historic blunder , you mean two nation theory and by stroke of midnight 14th august 1947 , made us urdu speaking people in the whole of sub continent lost rights of equal citizenship, in INDIA of post 1947 , they overnight became traitors due to the fact that muslims supported creation of pakistan and now stayed back in indian territory, those who migrated and now us their children do not have equal rights we are not sons of soil, in Bangladesh they are massacred and are now in camps , yes great folly of two nation theory
So typical of MQM. First an inflammatory statement comes then all the courtiers rush in to defend and justify His Highness The King. This time the king has over stepped by threating to go as far as demanding a seperate country. Really difficult to digest all these gimmicks.
@mrs ahmed: Definitely political plat form or affiliation in democratic societies. MQM is a birth when people are filled with hate, grudge and steep thinking. Now whole Urdu speaking community is cursing that historic blunder.
If the MQM leader is pushed too far, he would demand a separate country.
@Munna: I talking about majority, hard working and educated resident of Karachi. This is no time for things like provinces etc.
I have met many Urdu speaking persons in Europe and USA. I do not like to repeat in their words what they have to say against MQM and Altaf Hussain. 'They , like many other Pakistani do not understand why and how OPPRESSOR Altaf Hussain and his party have survived so long.'
'MQM has become rich by collecting Bhatta and they are finding it difficult to launder the money in the west', that is what many Urdu speaking people are saying here in the west.
I wonder what is behind all these allegations
wao. Now so called and self-proclaimed Sapoot (son of soil) has finally exposed his inention of dividing Sindh. People had already intimiated that they can't become true dewellers of this land. They are still calling themselves Mohajirs and should live in tents because Mohajirs have no rights to caim and get due share
"Urdu speaking community are educated and don’t need the assistance or representation for their rights." i am amazed at your remark , that educated people do not need political platforms for their rights .Well isnt west is this moment of history most educated , and according to your logic they should not have poltical parties, just go check .Please think with logic , last 30 years MQM is winning elections that means people of urban sindh trust MQM for speaking for their rights .Get out of the delusion that any other party speaks for majority of urban citizens of sindh.
MQM leaders say Altaf never asked for a separate province
No, he was telling us a joke and that also in bad taste! So typical of MQM. First throw in a controversial statement then the minions will defend the king by denying it.
Mr.Tariq , speak for yourself .The majority of Urdu speaking do not subscribe to your version . We need a separate province .Period .
Altaf hussain represents his party who don't represents the so called urdu speaking community of Pakistan. Urdu speaking community are educated and don't need the assistance or representation for their rights. It is a propaganda which is ridiculing and maligning Urdu speaking community in the eyes of whole Pakistanis. Altaf Hussain speaks for himself and his interest which only lays in Karachi only. MQM stop using the shield of Urdu speaking community for their immoral and gains in the city. Urdu speaking community and Pakistan is one thing and separation or division is the insult of the sacrifice and efforts their elders had done for creation of Pakistan.
@ I am not happy with media providing disproportionate space to people with little or no following may it be JI or JUI-F or the nationalists of sorts, even Tahirul Kadri . If these people are denied coverage they would be forced to talk sense whenever they make it, also they would be forced to develop contact with people until they qualify to be on air. Faisal Sabswari is my leader I wish I could develop superior and sublime qualities as he possesses but unfortunately nowhere near that and i wish i could be at 90, it requires way too much commitment to step into and be a part of that world, just dont have that
@Asif: I am not happy with media providing dispropotionate space to people with little or no following may it be JI or JUI-F or the nationalists of sorts. If these people are denied coverage they would be forced to talk sense whenever they make it, also they would be forced to develop contact with people until they qualify to be on air. Faisal sabswari is my leader I wish I could develop superior and sublime qualities as he posseses but unfortunately nowhere near that and i wish i could be at 90, it requires way too much committment to step into and be a part of that world, just dont have that
@Aysha M you sound like Faisal sabzwari u exactly repeated what he said today on a show which makes me believe you are sitting in media room at 90 .please do not mislead people
A man of his words, he never needed to go back on his words and promises.
We know how to become a US, UK, Australian and Canadian citizen, and be beneficiary of equal opportunities but post partition we are yet to find out how to become a citizen with equal rights in Sindh. Despite our contribution of 98% in the provincial revenue, we suffer inequitable lopsided distribution of resources and inhibited job opportunities, and considered second grade citizen.
MQM should settle their problems through political and democratic methods. There is no point to give such statement, which was televised and heard by every one that has hurt millions of people. Altaf claims to be true son of Sindh but when ever he or his party has problems, they always hit against the sovereignty of the land. This is not good politics to hurt people and create more rifts between peoples of Sindh. Pls do good politics, and target PPP or PMLN if they dont give you space but dont talk against the sovereignty and unity of Sindh. Dont disappoint those Sindhi speaking supporters, who respect you.
Oh. So I saw Altaf demanding a province in my dreams.. Acha. I never thought I would remember a dream so well.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad would have such a hearty laugh at all in the above picture. Hope he just stops at laughing and doesnt go 'I told you so' and he did
Who is , what is Ayaz Palijo? Does this person have any parliamentary experience. Has he ever been able to gain peoples confidence in elections, why is media giving space to this person, he has no following in the masses
Is it not similar to one or some of jinnahs 14 points. Why a new province in sind is such an issue. Karachi needs to be a seperate province. It is a seperate province. How many sindhis Keep their family away from Karachi as they work here, for many sindhis it already is. With karachi a seperate province everyone will benefit more.
Lol the irony about "Urdu speaking" is that it is actually an English sentence :)
Lol these guys are probably the biggest hypocrites. But I have to give it to them; you really need 'guts' to defend your party leader's statement by jumping on one lie from another.
And then they have the 'guts' to talk about 'mandate'. My God, Pakistanis may have short term memory but May 11 elections were only a few months ago. The widespread documented rigging, and the lies to cover it up and then threatening people's democratic right to peaceful protesst. Khities have had enough with these militants. Ban them from politics. In my eyes MQM and TTP are both militant outfits.