Afaq condemns Murad’s ‘humiliating’ remarks against Mohajirs

Claims PPP leaders’ reactions were only to garner votes on basis of ethnicity

KARACHI: Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chairperson Afaq Ahmed has termed Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah’s reactions to the demand of division of the province a means of garnering votes in the elections.

Murad had cursed those who wanted to divide the province during the Sindh Assembly session on Tuesday. Following that, Khursheed seconded his views in the National Assembly, saying he objected to the term ‘Mohajir’ in general.

He said their attitude is a slap in the face of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership. He warned that an attitude such as this should not be adopted against the Mohajir community otherwise he would not be able to stop his workers from reacting.

Speaking to the media at his residence on Thursday, Ahmed said the hatred and strong reaction by the chief minister and opposition leader on assembly floor is contrary to democratic norms. Other party members were also present at the press conference.



“We condemn Murad Ali Shah’s dictatorial and humiliating remarks against Mohajirs,” said Ahmed, adding that when Murad ridiculed those asking for a separate province, it was as if he was cursing PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. These thoughts reflect a feudal mindset, he lamented. The people of urban areas of the province cannot demand their rights, accused Ahmed, explaining that when in 1972 Bhutto started discrimination on the basis of language and ethnicity and started the quota system, he laid the foundation of the biased attitude prevailing in Sindh today. Instead of cursing us, Murad should curse the PPP’s leadership, said Ahmed.

Khursheed also used harsh words, which were hurtful, said the MQM-Haqiqi head. We are not internally displaced persons who have come here temporarily; we migrated here and are here to stay and Khursheed must understand the difference between internally displaced persons and immigrants, he said. He was referring to the National Assembly opposition leader saying the use of the term ‘Mohajir’ made it seem as if the community was going to return to where they came from.

With the presence of feudal lords in the assemblies, the people of the province’s urban areas cannot have their rights, Ahmed lamented. Bhutto created the rural-urban divide and he divided the province on the basis of language and ethnicity, he said. “If we are fighting for a separate province, then this foundation was laid by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,” the MQM-H head said.



If you wanted to keep Sindh intact, you should have kept its people intact, he said. “Instead of adopting unifying measures, he [Bhutto] deepened the divide. What’s wrong with it if we are following the dividing line he drew?”

Criticising the Sindh Assembly, the party head said we know who are sitting in the assembly now and who used to salute when they listened to the Indian national anthem. “Getting worked up doesn’t suit them,” he said. I want to make the rural population of Sindh understand that the PPP never asked for votes on the basis of their performance, instead they are trying to gather votes of Sindhis against Mohajirs by sparking this dispute as the election approaches, he said.

Ahmed went on to say that if Sindhis have to vote then it must be based on the PPP’s performance. “Observe their performance first. Did they provide you water and electricity? Assess what development took place and then cast your vote. If we do not get rid of these feudal lords, then the situation will never improve,” he urged the people of Sindh. “We don’t foresee getting our legitimate rights from them,” Ahmed said, adding that the PPP leaders’ reaction was not on the issue of the province’s division.