STP chairperson urges government to accept MQM’s resignations

Renews demands for Sindhi as an official language alongside Urdu

HYDERABAD: The Sindh Taraqi Pasand party's chairperson, Dr Qadir Magsi, has accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of trying to carve out a Karachi-based state from Pakistan similar to Hong Kong. "They sometimes talk about the Muhajir province or a separate administrative unit but their real aim is to break Pakistan on the directions of their foreign masters," said Magsi while addressing a rally on Sunday.

Reacting to the MQM's renewed demand for a Muhajir province, he asserted that since the party was formed in the 1980s, it has continued to work towards the same objective. "But today, even the establishment has realised that the MQM is a terrorist, anti-Pakistan and anti-Sindh party."

He argued that the MQM should be banned from politics in Pakistan. "If the TTP can be banned for terrorism, then why not the MQM?" he asked, while criticising the delay in the acceptance of resignations submitted by the party's legislators.

He paid tribute to the army chief General Raheel Sharif for initiating operation Zarb-e-Azb and for the ongoing action against terrorists in Karachi, adding that Sharif put to rest the four-decade-old Zia doctrine.

Magsi said his party does not object to the enforcement of Urdu as the official language. But, he added, other languages like Sindhi should be given their due status. "Even during the British government, Sindhi had remained the official language," he said, reiterating the demand that all provincial languages should be given national status.

He strongly criticised what he described as the plunder of Sindh's resources and the exploitation of the people by the Pakistan Peoples Party. He alleged that billions of dollars have been looted through corruption.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th,  2015.