KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza said on Saturday that the PPP must distance itself from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), reported Express 24/7.
Mirza was speaking to the media after attending a dinner organised by PPP Provincial Assembly member Ghulam Muhammad where he said that only President Asif Ali Zardari is capable of parting ways with the MQM.
He also said that the bill on new local bodies system will not be presented in the Sindh Assembly, as former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was dissatisfied with the system.
He added that the PPP will suffer if it deprives the masses of their due rights.
Earlier, Mirza lashed out against the MQM alleging that the president had informed him that the party was plotting to kill his son.
The former minister has been continuously criticising MQM and its stance on the local bodies system since the past few months. However, the PPP leadership is coming to an agreement with the MQM on the local bodies issue which has been a reason for the party's dissatisfaction with Mirza.
Mirza tendered his resignation during a fiery press conference in Karachi on August 28 from the posts of senior vice-president of the party, member provincial assembly (MPA), member Central Executive Committee (CEC), minister for works and services and senior minister.
On September 7 this year, the Governor of Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad accepted Mirza’s resignation as Sindh’s senior minister and minister for works and services.
COMMENTS (33)
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@Asad: Go read the supreme Court judgement. It gives a list of areas where there are a bunch of territorial conflicts. The list reads like this' Mohajir vs. Pathan, Mohajir vs. Baluch, Mohajir vs. Sindhi, Mohajir vs. Punjabi, MQM altaf vs. MQM Haqiqui, etc.
Most Pakistani ethnicities respected Mohajirs and gave them shelter when the came to Paksitan. This was especially true of Sindhis. However the same respect for the sons of the soil was not reciprocated by the Mohajirs.
You give a refugee shelter in your home and the next thing you know is that he wants to take over your house and throw you out. Karachi and Hyderabad are an integral part of Sindh. Why should anyone talk about separating these.
@Natasha: The question is not about ethnicity as Mohajirs have the right to join any political party, but is is about aligning with a criminal mafia.
@Salman Orangiwala: If every party or group demands to be given a share of the government and is unwilling to sit in opposition, then what kind of a democracy would we have. You should be very clear in your demands; is the demand for Mohajirs to be in power or for the MQM? Assuming the two to be synonymous, it is against all principles of democracy for a group to demand that they should always be in government otherwise they have the right to break up the country.
@Independent from London:
Why should Mohajirs learn and speak Sindhi, which is a provincial language, when Mohajirs are speaking “URDU” which is National Language.
@Asad: Sindhis have welcomed and accepted mohajirs with open arms. Sindhis have no issues with urdu speaking people. In fact vast number of Sindhis are married to urdu speaking ladies. Sindhis definitely do not like those who want to divide two communities. In fact both are all Sindhis. Look Sindhis can speak Urdu fluently but tell me how many urdu speaking people can speak fluent Sindhi language. There were times when Sindhi was compulsorily taught in schools and it was good step for cohesion.
@Sindhvoice
I would say the same to you. The Sindhis should learn to respect the Mohajirs and live peacefully with the mohajirs accepting them as sons of Karachi and Hyderabad rather than calling them 'outsiders' or 'Makkar'. Also no one needs to integrate into another ethnicity. Peaceful coexistence can only occur when Mohajirs are recognised by Sindhis as an ethnic group of their own (5th recognised ethnic group of Pakistan). We respect you and you respect us with each group accepting the other's ethnicity and culture not expecting anyone to 'integrate'. Mirza and his followers do not seem to understand this simple rule.
The best answser to Zulfiqar Mirza's rants would be to make a separate province comprised of Karachi and Hyderabad. Pakistan was created in the Name of Islam but it is governed in the Name of Ethnicity- The punjabi masses vote for PML(N), the Sindhi Masses vote for PPP, the Pashtun masses vote for ANP, the balochs vote for their sardars and the Mohajirs vote for MQM. However no one criticizes the others for voting parties of their ethnicity...only the mohajirs and MQM are criticized by the people of the 4 provinces. Thats very unfair...The mohajir elders had struggled for the creation of Pakistan and migrated to Pakistan with the spirit of Islam but their muslim brothers here showed no islamic spirit and instead showed hardcore hatred and ethnicity against the mohajirs. Zufiqar mirza and his supporters are live examples of this hatred against the Mohajir community which has remained since 1947. It is time the balochs, sindhis,punjabis and pashtuns recognised the Mohajirs as the fifth ethnic group of Pakistan and made a fifth province for the mohajirs.
In the next election MQM will land on the field with a demand for a saparate administrative unit for Mojahirs .
Should reduce the temperature, these arguments will take us no where , If the sindh climate improves interior sindh will benefit immensly.People living in Karachi will certainly go interior sind , Visit, Invest if possible, Why not.
Lets go down this road.
Some one has to lead us PLEASE.
@Realist.: and vote in sindh made of waderay shahi or feudalism, no difference in that case. Everyone knows how votes are cast in Pakistan!
@Realist: You are correct. Karachi’ites is connected in a chain through Urdu language which is the National Language of Pakistan.
Similarly, Sindhi’s cast their votes to Sindhi speaking candidates; Punjabis cast their votes to Punjabi speaking candidates (Punjabis during 1996 general elections cast their votes on the basis of the Punjabi slogan “Jaag Punjabi Jaag, Teri Pug Nu Lag Gaya Hai Daag”.
Likewise, Chaudhry’s of Gujrat get their votes on the basis of Zaat and Baradari then why not a Urdu Speaking person shall not give vote to another Urdu speaking candidate?
Muhammad Ali Siddiqui's comment tells me that Karachi'ites VOTES are based on 'races'.
Whether you like it or not,the fact is Karachi and Hyderabad are NOT in space, they are integral part of Sindh since centuries .We Sindhis always welcome immigrants from inside Pakistan and outside. But it does not mean outsiders spread terrorism and extortion-ism in Sindh.And they blackmail whole majority by terror and fascism.The politics of division and hate as propagated by MQM will not bring any good for Urdu speaking people or Pakistan. Terrorism in any form is condemn-able act. Urdu speaking community need to accept and respect Sindh and they should try to integrate with people of land. Through integration and openness, they will assimilate and soon this division of Mohajirism will die down.But if they stay closed and resist to integrate or look down upon Sindhi Language and culture, they are actually damaging their own interests in long term.
@Salman Orangiwala If you make a small enough administrative unit or one to your likings it is not called democracy.
PPP HAS ALREADY KICKED MIRZA Now it will do just opposit what Mirza will suggest . My assessment is that the people arround him are inteligent enough and they will ecape to the other option .
ET blocking my comments. But there is so much to say i wish Mr Mirza once read ET and comments over here. May be he felt better!
Zulfiqar Mirza is steadily becoming a nuisance. He reveals his 'shocking' exposés every so often without an ounce of proof and with now minimal credibility. He has also has the audacity to permanently block the road before his house and is accorded protocol even though he is no longer part of government. ZM - you'd better get your own house in order first.
Mr Mirza has set a very bad example by stealing official documents from Home Ministry and using them against his opponents.He has breached trust of state and violated official secret act that lays down that he will not divulge official secrets and protect it. I think it is a fit case for taking Suo Motto by the Supreme Court and must set an example to safeguard official secrets
Crimnals like Zulfiqar Mirza are the root cause of the misery of this Pakistan. His place is behind bars. This guy is supposed to be a healer but instead he is spitting venoms. May God give him aql e saleem
jiye mirza....
While I'm quite critical of the party and hate some of its policies to the core, the fact remains that MQM is a vital part of Sindh politics. You cannot maintain a distance from them if you want to govern at all. That goes for all the parties including the ones that say talking to MQM is more of a gunah-e-kabeera.
Politics is all about pragmatism. Making 'noise' won't get you anywhere. Love(?) them or hate them, you will have to accept that they ARE powerful enough to hold Karachi hostage to what THEY think is right.
When its about ethnicity you have no option but to co-exist peacefully. There's no room for any sort of 'distance'.
zulfi mirza is the last hope you march on Sir we are with you
Selfish peoples.
Has his magical brief case of evidence been opened yet? He doesn't even make references to it anymore. That's quite odd. The way he talked about it he shouldn't have to be putting this much effort into things as it held game changing revolutionary truths.
@ Parvez , It is the democratic , moral , ethical right of atleast 10 minnion people of Karachi , Hyd and other cities who voted MQM , to be heard and representated in the Legislative houses .You cannot deny the most literate lot of this land of pure ,their SIMPLE right . We need our share in the pie of whatever the "socalled " democracy offers .
So , we need to be in the power corridor . What opposition ?and why should we sit in the opposition in hte very same assembly which is situated in the very same town ?
Alternatively we have all the rights to demand for a separate administrative unit for ourselves . And maybe that is what you are forcing us to do .
Mr Zardari's PPP needs the MQM more than the MQM needs the PPP, that is apparent. What is right and what is not has nothing to do with this equation.
It would not be the 1st time that PPP and MQM collaboration to fall apart. However wise men should learn lessons from history. In BB's time, when the collation felt apart, it had terrible consequences including loss of innocent human lives and flight of capital and industry from Sind to Punjab. Todate Sindh has not been able to recover. Hoping against hope, it would be advisable for both sides to find a workable solution on a give and take basis.
Zulfiqar Mirza:
I still remember that when you took the oath of Provincial Minister of Interior of Sindh and you gave a statement again the former Chief Minister Dr. Ghulam Arbab Rahim that you are also a Doctor and you know how to treat a patient.
Unfortunately, at this stage it seems that you have become a patient of MQM phobia due to its popularity in Karachi which was the Capital of Pakistan and still Karachi is the Capital of financial hub of Pakistan.
By giving unnecessary statements and holding undue press conferences, you should not over-estimate yourself that you have become “some thing big” in Pakistan after few of your handful PPP colleagues have started throwing dinners in your honour.
You even do not know the ABC about the Urdu Speaking People and their mentality. If you think that you have so much courage, you should contest elections from any constituency of Karachi including Lyari and you will see where you are standing in Karachi where Urdu Speaking People are in 48% majority.
I am a non-political person and do not have any political back ground, neither associated with any political party including MQM.
I openly challenge you that if you have the courage to face me, I am ready to contest the Provincial Assembly Election as an Urdu Speaking Person from your choice of constituency and you will see the results.
If I will lose the elections, I will give you the right to give me any name you want me to be called and if you lose the election, I will give you a new name.
Karachi is not your personal property where you want to rule.
It is the choice of Karachiites to elect their representatives and not the ones you want including yourself.
Any government which will be made in Sindh have to share the power with MQM, what to talk about your statement that “PPP should part ways with MQM”.
PPP has parted ways with Zulfiqar Mirza