The MQM’s coordination committee member was speaking at a press conference organised at party headquarters Nine Zero on Monday to welcome new members from Punjab into the party.
“Due to the speeches given by politicians, Nine Zero’s perception in Punjab is that of a fortress [filled] with bodies in gunny sacks,” shared Gujrat’s Chaudhry Safdar Jumna. “After coming to Nine Zero, I can say that it is not the case.”
Jumna was an executive member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) when he was lived abroad from 1984 to 1986. He was unhappy with the induction of unscrupulous elements into the PPP, and had therefore decided to join the MQM along with his family and supporters, he said.
“Ninety-eight per cent of MQM members are from the middle class, and its provincial ministers and members work together. But all other political parties are full of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and sons-in-law.”
Introduced as an industrialist from Dera Ismail Khan, Malik Shah Zaman said that he would work to raise the MQM’s profile in his area. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) and the PPP have generally held sway in the area. “I believe it is important to strengthen Altaf Hussain’s hands to solve the internal and external problems facing Pakistan,” he said.
The MQM has had a stream of new members joining it over the past few months, including former Pakistani ambassador to Saudi Arabia Umer Khan Ali Sherzai, actor Zeba Bakhtiar, Rear Admiral (retd) Nishat Rafi and chairperson of the Shalimar Group of Companies, Mian Mohammad Atique.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ