LAHORE – The ‘hidden forces’ always instigate ethnic clashes in Karachi whenever Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) struggles to expand his ‘ideological movement’ to rural Sindh and Punjab. These ‘elements’ always tries to brand MQM an ‘ethnic and regional pressure group’ and the current spate of gun violence in Karachi was part of the ‘same conspiracy’.
Member of the MQM’s Central Coordination Committee Saif Yar Khan said this in an exclusive interview with Pakistan Today here on Monday. He was of the view that ‘traditional politicians’ with their roots in feudal system could not ‘stand’ the revolt against their very existence. He said MQM is struggling to abolish this ‘oppressive’ system in order to establish a ‘truly democratic, progressive and egalitarian society’ in the country where all citizens have equal rights irrespective of their colour, creed, language, ethnicity, gender, belief and religion.
Replying a query about the current killings in Karachi, Saif reiterated MQM’s demand of a judicial inquiry into the violence to expose ‘real culprits’. He said MQM has never been afraid of violence against its workers as party’s history is ‘full of sacrifices’. Saif said, over 225 MQM workers lost their lives, while only 40 to 45 members of other parties were killed in 2010. He said that the figures showed that in fact it has been the MQM which is being targeted for the ‘vested gains’. He recalled that the 1992 operation against the MQM in which he claimed that more than 15,000 of MQM workers were killed. Saif said that the land grabbing mafia and drug mafias were behind the killings. He said that Lyari gang-has spread across the metropolis and that a group of Lyari gang-war enjoys the support of ‘some influential personalities in the government’. He said that MQM is going to hold a convention of non Urdu speaking workers on January 30 at Lal Qila Ground at Aziz Abad in Karachi. “After the successful congregation at Bhit Shah, the massive gathering of all ethnic groups in Karachi would show that the party enjoys a mass support. Saif said that the MQM has so far enrolled 1.5 million members in Punjab alone, while as many as 10,000 workers of the party were working to spread the message of Quaid-e-Tehreek Altaf Bhai among the ‘suppressed’ Punjabis.
Replying to a question about the participation of MQM in upcoming Local Body elections in Punjab and its pre-poll preparations, he said that they have a basic party structure in 37 districts of Punjab and that they have ‘nothing to worry’ about the victory. Saif Yar said that the MQM is the only political party representing working class and poor masses. He said that MQM too has presented a 9-point agenda to the government regarding implementation of Revised General sales tax (RGST) ‘well prior’ to economic suggestions from both the PML-N and the PML-Q. He said Altaf Bhai is on record for having suggested that Pakistan’s foreign debts could be paid up by selling lands of those who have defaulted on loans.
‘Karachi killings aimed at throttling MQM’s growing popularity’
