“The people have spoken about the need of new administrative units or provinces in Sindh and the rest of Pakistan,” said Altaf in a statement issued by the MQM on Sunday.
The Muttahida chief said ‘prejudiced’ feudal lords of Sindh never accepted the Urdu-speaking Sindhis or mohajirs as true Sindhis.
“The PPP sowed the seeds of prejudice and hatred in 1973,” said the statement. “The PPP claims to be a national political party but history bears out that it always used the Sindh card and not the Pakistan card.”
Earlier in the day, MQM leader Farooq Sattar said his party wanted equal distribution of resources in urban and rural Sindh.
“We want empowerment for both rural and urban Sindh,” said Sattar, addressing an MQM gathering in Karachi.
He argued that their struggle wasn’t against rural Sindh but against feudals who believed in oppression and hereditary politics.
“This movement will create Jinnah’s Pakistan in real terms,” said Sattar.
Strike-like situation witnessed in Karachi
A strike-like was witnessed in Karachi on Sunday due to the observance of MQM's 'Black Day’ against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah’s statement on muhajirs.
Although no major untoward incidents occurred during the day, fear and uncertainty gripped the city.
MQM Chief Altaf Hussain had appealed to traders and transporters to keep their businesses shut and halt public transportation to support the peaceful observance of the 'Black Day' and as a result, petrol pumps and CNG stations in various parts of the city were closed.
Within minutes after MQM leader Abdul Haseeb’s press conference at the party headquarter Nine-Zero on Saturday evening, traders and shopkeepers closed shops and businesses immediately.
Besides shutting down routine commercial activities, the entry tests scheduled on Sunday at the University of Karachi and Benazir Medical University Lyari were also postponed.
Traders said that all business activities will resume on Monday.
Talking to The Express Tribune, All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir said even though major markets are usually closed on Sunday, MQM's mourning day affected the remaining 10 percent of commercial activities in Karachi.
Meanwhile, transporters also announced the resumption of public transport from Monday. “We stopped our vehicles from coming on the roads following MQM’s appeal,” said Karachi Transport Ittehad Chairman Irshad Bukhari while talking to The Express Tribune.
To avoid any untoward incident, security arrangements in the city including patrolling and snap checks were increased and the law enforcers were asked to take strict action against those behind forcefully shutting the businesses.
“The overall situation in Karachi was peaceful enough,” said Karachi police spokesperson Inspector Atiq Shaikh while talking to The Express Tribune. “Besides MQM, ASWJ and Nationalist Party of the Sindh also held rallies, and credit goes to all parties as they cooperated and did not take law into their hands.”
COMMENTS (10)
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Seed that Altaf sow years ago is about to bear fruit. All these naive people who think of themselves as Punjabi, Sindhi, Balooch, Pathan and now Muhajir should be thankful to Pakistan to give them an identity. If any one has any doubt then ask he/she should ask their parents what their parents were in India. That is where answer lies. None of these communities have made it alone. No matter what individual contribution one may have he/she can never pay back enough that Pakistan gave them. It provided them a platform, honor, dignity, and a spring board to jump from. Has any doubts, go back to any university in Pakistan and see how many Muslim names you will find in their roster before 1947. . Learn to LOVE Pakistan, or Leave it.
New provinces is the need of the day for better administration and because of the exploding population and should not be made an ethnic issue. Also, I can soon foresee a pakhtun dominated entity within Sindh, and also in Balochistan, for the same reason. It has nothing to do with MQM or 'muhajirs' it is the need of the day if the government is to function properly.
MQM will make sure that in next election PPP wins all rural seats and in return PPP will make sure that MQM wins back its lost ground to PTI, PML(N) and ANP. Both parties are fooling rest of Pakistan.
This should be rated as the world's funniest joke.
All 4 provinces need to have more administrative units, ASAP. That's the only way for speedy progress.
Sir, first you guys learn Sindhi and integrate to Sindh culture..
After dharna walas mqm is the next party losing its brain. Very childish politics.
LONG LIVE MQM !!!
Any Indian national entering Pakistan after 1950 without valid travel documents is not a Muhajir but an infiltrator. They and their progeny should be rounded up and sent back to their country of origin.