Disowning an earlier demand for a separate province attributed to him by the media, Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain on Sunday spelt out a formula for a ‘peaceful Sindh’.
“I do not want partition of Sindh… Sindh is our motherland and should never be divided,” Altaf told thousands of his supporters at Karachi’s Aladin Park in a telephone address from London.
He claimed that his statement – made during a public address in Hyderabad on Friday – was ‘twisted’ by his political opponents. Altaf had reportedly threatened to raise the slogan of a separate province if the PPP did not accept his party’s mandate. But while clarifying his statement on Sunday, Altaf said Sindh was already divided by the PPP.
“You are the owners of ‘Sindh One’… Let those you consider ‘Sindhis’ live in Sindh One, but at least let other Sindhis, Pathans, Kashmiris, Baloch, Punjabis and Urdu-speaking people live in Sindh Two,” he said addressing PPP leaders.
“You might as well make an official declaration because you have already done so practically by your actions,” he added.
The MQM chief invited people from all ethnic backgrounds to be part of what he called ‘Sindh Two’. “The struggle for equal rights is not just for Mohajirs. It is for everyone,” he said.
“The MQM was the first party to introduce the poor to the assemblies and make them sit alongside feudal lords,” Altaf said, adding that those criticising his party should not forget this.
Delimitation
The MQM chief once again lashed out at the PPP over the delimitation of constituencies in Sindh.
“The PPP has deliberately delimited constituencies to manufacture a win for them in every constituency… they said ‘We’re in the government, we can do whatever we want’,” he said. “We were left with no option but to move the court.”
Altaf said the verdict of the Sindh High Court on the amendments to the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 had exposed the PPP’s ‘lies and deception’. He read out parts of the verdict, repeating the words ‘gerrymandering’ and ‘discriminatory’ to describe the delimitation exercise.
No independent body or commission oversaw the delimitation process, said Altaf. “The PPP conducted the exercise on its own.”
‘Treasonous remarks’ from other parties
The MQM chief complained that he was being singled out for criticism by certain television anchorpersons, columnists and representatives from other parties.
“A statement on dividing Sindh is declared treasonous and worth condemning even though no such remarks were made [by me]… But no hue and cry is made when political parties talk of breaking the country. Isn’t this unjust,” he said.
“The ANP says it will bomb the country if Kalabagh Dam is built and that is considered acceptable… Sirajul Haq of Jamaat-e-Islami warns the government of a situation similar to 1971 if Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is not given its due share in resources, and even that is acceptable!”
Political reaction
Reacting to Altaf’s speech, PPP Patron-in-Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reiterated that his party would not allow division of Sindh. “No 50/50, no number 1 or number 2, only Mother Sindh,” he said in post on the social networking website Twitter.
No50/50,No number 1 or number 2, only Mother Sindh.All men are created equal.All Pakistanis should b treated equally in the eyes of the Law.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 5, 2014
He also claimed that the MQM chief was misinformed on the delimitation issue. “Uncle Altaf, your people are lying to you. The MQM was consulted for delimitation and I have minutes of the meeting. Should I send?” he said in another tweet.
Uncle Altaf, your ppl are lying to u. MQM was consulted 4 delimitation. I have the minutes of the meeting. Shall send you thm. Regards, BBZ
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 5, 2014
“The division of Sindh will never be accepted under any situation,” said Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon. “The PPP has never discriminated between the rural and urban populations of Sindh,” he added, demanding the MQM tender an apology for demanding a division of the province.
Nationalist parties in Sindh, meanwhile, announced they would observe a shutter-down strike across the province against Altaf’s statement.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2014.
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hi every one, I hope every one is enjoying the winter in Pakistan. please don't make weather warm with an unreasonable arguments about creating provinces. Pakistan is a federation of four different entities not four administrative units. those entities were before Pakistan and will remain with full co-operation and coordination and make Pakistan strongest country on the global map.it will never benefit Pakistan if we talk about divide and rule. so please be proud of balochi, pushtoon , Punjabi , sindhi and Pakistani.
@jock ... Ayaaz palijo is an idiot and him being a leader with so many followers is a reason why pakistan is not progressing.... Why is making new provinces considered as a treacherous act and not as an effective way to manage issues in Pakistan....?
Divide Sindh? And we can shake hands on that? Never. Go back to india. Take your money along. Stay in that land of milk and honey. And I guess you would never dare to ask about who actually is ayaz palijo.
it was PPP who created division in Sindh.
There was Pakistan then it became new Pakistan after our big surrender. Now there would be Pakistan 1, Pakistan 2, up to Pakistan 12 or more if we go with this solution. Nothing new in old days UK kings used to be numbered like that. The more the number of Pakistans the better it is?
Altaf is right this time. We at least 2 provinces in Sindh and 5 in Punjab
Enough is enough, we should stop doubting MQM and its valid demand. Pakistan definitely needs more provinces and in fact all parties have included this clause in their constitution. Pakistan's population is increasing rapidly so most of the influx is migrating to Karachi. If we will not form more provinces now, there is no hope that Pakistan would ever remain on the map. Let's start accepting valid demands and stop discriminating minorities.
Altaf and MQM came up with this Sindh 1 & Sindh 2 after the blunder he made 2 days back where he proposed a province based on ethnics(mohajirs). Please MQM, control your leader before he commits more blunders and loses total grip over MQM.
@Arzoo: Excellent academic comments
Sindh 1, may you develop a leadership from among yourself and be relaeased from the clutches of PPP feudals Sindh 2 zindabad
As a starter,please do away with Sind Urban/Sind Rural quota.This is un-fair and un-natural and un-just
If the population keeps increasing more provinces would have to be created not only in Sindh, but also in Punjab, KPK, and Baluchistan. The important thing is to provide services to the people. Iran has 31 provinces, and Afghanistan has 34 provinces, so what is the reason for 4 provinces in Pakistan when its' population is many times more than Iran. Why do Sindhi feudals insist on monopolizing on the resources and not give its due share to all the parts. They will not be able to enslave and disenfranchise 20 million urban residents. It is not fair, not democratic, and anachronistic. Time has come to create more provinces in Pakistan.
PPP Sindh has always discriminated against non-Sindhis. It started in 1971 with division of Sindh into Urban and Rural to deny jobs to Urban Sindhis. Then it become the only province that created a language crisis making Sndhi and Urdu official languages. No other province did this. From then on there was no recognition of non-Sindhis and their contribution. So its time to make this division official. Why Not, Cousin Bilawal Zardari?? You wanted to Partition Punjab didn't you??
It's a good solution. Pakistan should take advantage of it.