LAHORE – The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is using all its political devices and diplomacy to astound the masses and its rivals in Punjab by putting up a successful public show of power in Lahore today.
That is why the party has placed all its major leaders, as well as MQM office bearers in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to coax the masses in Punjab to attend its meeting titled Istahkam-e-Pakistan. Party sources told Pakistan Today that MQM chief Altaf Hussain has instructed all party wings to use all possible resources to make the meeting a success.
Major leaders of MQM Co-ordination Committee, including Deputy Convener Dr farooq Sattar, have been busy in Lahore during the past week.
MQM Coordination Committee members and Sindh ministers, including Raza Haroon, Wasay Jalil, Babar Ghauri, Faisal Sabzwari, Saif Yar Khan, Iftikhar Randhawa, Khushbakht Shujaat, Khawaja Isarul Hassan, Mobeen Qazi, Sarfraz Nawaz, Kishwar Zahra, Moeen Khan, Abdul Haseeb, Dr Nadeem Ahsan, Abdul Moved Farooqi and Syed Shaheen Anwer Gillani have been busy round-the-clock to liaise with local party leaders and workers, besides conducting individual meetings with the Urdu speaking community in Punjab.
The sources said the main focus of the party leadership was southern Punjab, where they interacted with the muhajar section of the Urdu speaking people and MQM was expecting a large gathering on account of these interactions. On the political front, MQM leaders were approaching the PML-Q, PTI and even the PPP to attend the April 10 meeting and succeeded in getting a positive nod.
In a major move just a day before the public gathering, a special MQM delegation led by Dr Farooq Sattar met Jehangir Badr at his residence on Saturday and invited him to attend today’s meeting. Badr responded positively, subject to permission by PPP Co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari. On Thursday, an eight-member MQM delegation had called on former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and invited the PML-Q to attend the MQM rally. Elahi reportedly assured them of his full support.
An MQM team had called on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial chief Ahsan Rashid on Friday to extend an invitation. Sources in the PTI said that the invitation had been accepted and PTI leaders would attend the meeting today.
Preparations for holding the maiden politico-public gathering were in full swing and public transports had been booked for the transportation of party workers and supporters from various areas of Lahore, as well as Muridke, Kamonki, Shiekhupura, Kasur, Pattoki, Raiwind, Gujranwala, Okara, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and other far flung areas of the province.
Muttahida avoids rightwing
LAHORE – The MQM has distanced itself from the religious parties and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), also considered a rightwing party, by not extending them invitation for the public meeting to be held today (Sunday) at the Football Stadium opposite the Gaddafi Stadium where it was earlier scheduled.
The gesture seems to have aired a clear signal and drew a line between the foes and the friends, as the religious entities like Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulama-e-Pakistan-Noorani (JUP-N), Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Sunni Ittehad Council (STC, alliance of more than 22 religious parties including Sunni Tehreek) and even the PML-N are not invited.
However, the MQM invited the PML-Q, PPP and PTI by sending delegations to participate in the rally after which the PML-Q accepted the offer but the PTI refused. And PPP General-Secretary Jahangir Badr, who welcomed MQM delegation at his residence on Saturday, conveyed his party’s good wishes but linked participation with the decision of PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari.
The MQM avoided invitation to JI, JUP, JUI-F, STC and PML-N.
MQM Secretary Information Wassay Jalil told Pakistan Today that the local party leaders might have talked to the religious parties but could not confirm that MQM delegation visited the offices or residences of religious parties’ heads for a formal invitation. About the PML-N, he said senior party leader Babar Ghauri met with PML-N Senator Pervaiz Rashid and invited to join the public meeting.
But Pervaiz told Pakistan Today that though the MQM remained in contact but it did not forward any invitation. JI Secretary Information Anwar Niaz said they did not receive any invitation. Had the JI been invited, it would have definitely turned it down, he added.
JUP-N Secretary-General Qari Zawar Bahadur, “If a gesture had been shown, we would have asked the MQM leaders to stop spilling blood in Karachi, he added. YASIR HABIB
