Karachi rally: MQM’s popularity on the rise, says Altaf
Says establishment should not suspect our patriotism
An aerial view of the MQM’s rally at Liaquatabad flyover. PHOTO: MOHAMMAD NOMAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Saturday claimed that his party has touched a fresh peak of popularity, signalling to the massive crowd assembled at a party rally in Liaquatabad.
On that basis alone, Altaf said, the MQM should be deemed the winner at the NA-246 constituency, where a by-election is due on April 23.
Addressing a big rally at Karachi’s Liaquatabad flyover, the MQM chief congratulated his party’s candidate Kanwar Naveed Jamil ‘in advance’.
“Some people are saying that the party’s popularity graph has gone down but today’s rally has broken all previous records and shown that our graph is going up,” said Altaf to his charged workers.
The flyover was packed with people who shouted slogans in his favour while rooftops of nearby apartments were also filled with supporter waving the party flags.
Though the MQM chief said he was going to speak of love, yet in the same breath he accused his rival parties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami, of being offshoots of the Taliban and al Qaeda, respectively.
“Oh people of Karachi, do you want to live next to people of Taliban and al Qaeda?” he asked.
He also appealed to the establishment to consider them as equal citizens of Pakistan and not to think of them as non-Pakistanis.
The MQM chief told his supporters not to respond to any abuse hurled by other parties. “Be patient and tolerant, you will get the fruit of patience on Thursday,” said Altaf.
He also spoke about the need to give Baloch people their rights and of early rehabilitation of internally displaced people from tribal areas. “We need trade and not war” he added.
Talking about accountability in his party, he said that if any Rabita Committee member is found involved in wrongdoing then his wrongdoing will be made public “as the party doesn’t need such people”.
He expressed sorrow at the death of the Sunni Ittehad Council leader Tariq Mahboob, who died in custody on Saturday. Mahboob, according to him, was subjected to torture and later this caused his death.
Speaking at the rally, the MQM candidate Kanwar Naveed said the federal government is not ready to spend a single penny to resolve the problems of Karachi and its people are deprived of even basic necessities.
“This party [MQM] is the only one which supports and stands with the people of the metropolis,” he said.
In a veiled reference to the PTI, the MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said politics of ‘cane, cocaine and containers’ will be erased on April 23. “The writing is on the wall …the MQM will appear victorious,” he said.
MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi advised the Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq not to withdraw his candidate in favour of PTI as it would be a political suicide, “and the hearts of JI loyalists would be broken”.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2015.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Saturday claimed that his party has touched a fresh peak of popularity, signalling to the massive crowd assembled at a party rally in Liaquatabad.
On that basis alone, Altaf said, the MQM should be deemed the winner at the NA-246 constituency, where a by-election is due on April 23.
Addressing a big rally at Karachi’s Liaquatabad flyover, the MQM chief congratulated his party’s candidate Kanwar Naveed Jamil ‘in advance’.
“Some people are saying that the party’s popularity graph has gone down but today’s rally has broken all previous records and shown that our graph is going up,” said Altaf to his charged workers.
The flyover was packed with people who shouted slogans in his favour while rooftops of nearby apartments were also filled with supporter waving the party flags.
Though the MQM chief said he was going to speak of love, yet in the same breath he accused his rival parties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami, of being offshoots of the Taliban and al Qaeda, respectively.
“Oh people of Karachi, do you want to live next to people of Taliban and al Qaeda?” he asked.
He also appealed to the establishment to consider them as equal citizens of Pakistan and not to think of them as non-Pakistanis.
The MQM chief told his supporters not to respond to any abuse hurled by other parties. “Be patient and tolerant, you will get the fruit of patience on Thursday,” said Altaf.
He also spoke about the need to give Baloch people their rights and of early rehabilitation of internally displaced people from tribal areas. “We need trade and not war” he added.
Talking about accountability in his party, he said that if any Rabita Committee member is found involved in wrongdoing then his wrongdoing will be made public “as the party doesn’t need such people”.
He expressed sorrow at the death of the Sunni Ittehad Council leader Tariq Mahboob, who died in custody on Saturday. Mahboob, according to him, was subjected to torture and later this caused his death.
Speaking at the rally, the MQM candidate Kanwar Naveed said the federal government is not ready to spend a single penny to resolve the problems of Karachi and its people are deprived of even basic necessities.
“This party [MQM] is the only one which supports and stands with the people of the metropolis,” he said.
In a veiled reference to the PTI, the MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said politics of ‘cane, cocaine and containers’ will be erased on April 23. “The writing is on the wall …the MQM will appear victorious,” he said.
MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi advised the Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq not to withdraw his candidate in favour of PTI as it would be a political suicide, “and the hearts of JI loyalists would be broken”.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2015.