No great divide: Tell your leaders Sindhis, Muhajirs live like brothers, says JSQM
Sit-in in front of the MQM's office in Shikarpur today.
SUKKUR:
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) district office-bearers must tell their high command that Sindhi and Muhajir communities live in complete harmony, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) leaders said at a demonstration in front of the MQM office at Bhittai Chowk, Kandhkot, on Monday. "The people of Sindh don't need a separate province."
Hundreds of JSQM workers led by senior vice-chairperson Dr Niaz Kalani, Amjad Mahesar, Kehar Ansari and Hanif Sagar Burdi carried banners and shouted slogans against the MQM's demand for a new province for the Muhajirs of Sindh. The protesters staged a sit-in at Bhittai Chowk for three hours and shouted slogans against MQM leaders.
Dr Kalani said the MQM had demanded a new province simply to pressurise the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). "The PPP and the MQM have been coalition partners for several years. We couldn't care less about their relations with each other. But demanding a separate province for Muhajirs is simply out of the question." He said the JSQM did not oppose any political party, but it had ideological differences with the PPP.
"Our protest is peaceful. We want MQM workers to realise that Sindhis and Muhajirs live like brothers and sisters. Sindh is our motherland and none of us should try to divide it."
JSQM leaders said the MQM must withdraw its statement or they would take the demonstration to the MQM's head office in Karachi.
There was a shutter-down strike in Kandhkot during the demonstration and a police contingent was deployed to avert any untoward incidents. The JSQM held a demonstration in front of the MQM's office in Ghotki on Sunday. On Tuesday (today), they have planned to stage a sit-in in front of the MQM's office in Shikarpur.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 28th, 2014.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) district office-bearers must tell their high command that Sindhi and Muhajir communities live in complete harmony, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) leaders said at a demonstration in front of the MQM office at Bhittai Chowk, Kandhkot, on Monday. "The people of Sindh don't need a separate province."
Hundreds of JSQM workers led by senior vice-chairperson Dr Niaz Kalani, Amjad Mahesar, Kehar Ansari and Hanif Sagar Burdi carried banners and shouted slogans against the MQM's demand for a new province for the Muhajirs of Sindh. The protesters staged a sit-in at Bhittai Chowk for three hours and shouted slogans against MQM leaders.
Dr Kalani said the MQM had demanded a new province simply to pressurise the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). "The PPP and the MQM have been coalition partners for several years. We couldn't care less about their relations with each other. But demanding a separate province for Muhajirs is simply out of the question." He said the JSQM did not oppose any political party, but it had ideological differences with the PPP.
"Our protest is peaceful. We want MQM workers to realise that Sindhis and Muhajirs live like brothers and sisters. Sindh is our motherland and none of us should try to divide it."
JSQM leaders said the MQM must withdraw its statement or they would take the demonstration to the MQM's head office in Karachi.
There was a shutter-down strike in Kandhkot during the demonstration and a police contingent was deployed to avert any untoward incidents. The JSQM held a demonstration in front of the MQM's office in Ghotki on Sunday. On Tuesday (today), they have planned to stage a sit-in in front of the MQM's office in Shikarpur.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 28th, 2014.