MQM lashes out at talks of '1992-style' operation in Karachi

MQM chief says his party is once again being threatened with a 1992-styled operation.

KARACHI: Hours after a scathing statement from Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain, the party’s coordination committee lashed out against Federal Minister of the Pakistan Peoples Party, that with them around, President Asif Ali Zardari, and the government did not need any other enemy.

In a statement released late at night, the coordination committee said that people of Karachi were well aware of the acts by banned organisations to create Shia-Sunni riots, but instead of acting against them, federal ministers were threatening a 1992-style operation.

They alleged that these statements betrayed the said ministers were playing some other “game”.

They added that the passing of a resolution to deweaponise Karachi was noteworthy. However, they posed the question why did the resolution only call for clearing Karachi of weapons? Why not the rest of the country especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which was suffering from militancy.

Earlier, MQM chief Altaf Hussain while speaking to party workers in Lahore and Rawalpindi said that certain state powers were planning to start another operation against the party, similar to the one conducted in 1992 after concocted allegations were leveled against them.

“Once again there are stirrings in the print and electronic media about starting an operation in Karachi similar to the one conducted in 1992. False and baseless allegations are being levelled against the MQM in order to crush it. Hence efforts are underway to silence the only voice being raised for the rights of people belonging to the poor and middle classes in the country.”

He added that the MQM was being made a scapegoat but the elements who are conspiring to vanquish the party should know that the MQM is not confined to Karachi alone. Hussain said that the MQM now has its presence in Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.

“Those who are planning to eliminate the MQM should know that people across the country, including Punjab, would rise in protest if the MQM is subjected to any repressive action again.”

Hussain said that the MQM is the only political party in the country that has its roots in the poor and middle classes and it is making genuine efforts to break the status quo and abolish the age-old feudal system that is established in the country.

The MQM chief declared that it is not 1992 and the MQM is present in across the length and breadth of the country including Punjab. If there are efforts to suppress the MQM in Karachi, then the oppressed people in Punjab and the rest of the country would rise in protest and frustrate the conspiracies against the MQM.

He asked the workers of the different zones of Punjab to remain steadfast prepare themselves for facing any type of circumstances. “We are the followers of Hazrat Hussain (May Allah be pleased with him). We did not bow down before injustices in the past and we would not do it even today. We would continue our struggle.”