Following in the footsteps of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) and the Pakistan Difa Council (PDC), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) held its all-women rally ‘Empowered Women, Stronger Pakistan’ on Sunday at the Bagh-e-Quaid, opposite the Quaid’s mausoleum. To all the parties that have previously arranged their public meetings at the Bagh-e-Quaid for showing the country the support they have in the city, MQM’s rally on Sunday was a strong response that said Karachi is not a city of any one party.
Most of the security arrangements for the women’s rally were made by MQM activists and City Wardens, whereas police and other law enforcers were also deployed in the vicinity. Around 50 stalls selling food, refreshments, tea, coffee, cosmetics, henna, mobile phone cards and other items were set up outside the venue, whereas the facility of 40 public toilets, including mobile toilets, was also provided to the participants of the gathering.
MQM’s Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan surveyed the rally from a chopper, as two helicopters circled the venue, with cameras recording the entire event. Party workers claimed that there were 100,000 chairs at the venue, whereas independent sources said there were 40,000 chairs and a large number of women sat on the ground. It is pertinent to mention here that this was the first-ever meeting of the MQM for which chairs were arranged, as in all the party’s previous meetings, the participants sat on the ground. Almost all women and children, many of whom had arrived in the metropolitan from other districts of Sindh, carried MQM flags; however, two girls insisted on having the national flag in return for their vote.
Many women’s dresses, dupattas (long, multi-purpose scarves) or bands flaunted the colours of the MQM flag.
A group of women living in rehabilitation camps at the Superhighway and other parts of the metropolis were brought to the public meeting in buses.
“I don’t know whether they have arranged transport for taking us back or not,” said an evidently upset old woman.
The male and female members of the MQM’s student wing, the All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation, performed a tableau ‘Inkar-e-Sitam’ for the participants’ entertainment. Speeches started around 4:30 pm, with MQM Member National Assembly Bilquis Mukhtar saying that mullahs are using Islam to suppress the women in the Muslim society. Laila Parveen addressed the participants in Hindko, Asifa Tahira in Punjabi, Nadia Gabol in Balochi and Heer Soho in Sindhi, whereas Kishwar Zehra and MQM’s former naib nazim Nasreen Jalil also spoke on the occasion. MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s sister Saira was also asked to be on the stage, but she did not deliver any speech.
During her address, Jalil appealed the participants of the gathering to vote for the MQM in the general elections. She also presented some resolutions for women’s rights, adding that the BBC has declared MQM’s rally “the biggest in the world”. Similarly, MQM Rabita Committee Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar told the participants that not only in Karachi or Pakistan, MQM’s rally is the biggest female rally in the world. It is pertinent to mention here that according to the MQM chief’s claim, the number of the participants of his party’s rally was over 1 million. He especially thanked the Bengali women who had attended his party’s rally, which is an interesting thing to consider, as during all previous public meetings at the Bagh-e-Quaid, every political and religious party has thanked the Bengalis for attending their gathering and making it a success. While the MQM succeeded in arranging a huge public meeting of women, the party’s volunteers failed to maintain pin-drop silence during the MQM chief’s address, which is characteristic of the party’s rallies.
Many bored women were stopped from leaving the venue during Hussain’s address several times by MQM volunteers until the women finally disregarded the party workers’ requests and left.
‘O eyes, no eyes, but fountains fraught with tears!
O life, no life but lively form of death!
O world, no world, but mass of public wrongs!
Confused and filled with misdeeds and misguides !
Dear writer … Get A life …. Do you Find It from the faces of these dancing and cheering wemen , that they were Bored and wanted to leave the venue but Forcefully stopped !
you people need Free flow Publicity And for that , you try to make up your foolish Stories ! why dont you show video records of the women who told you that they were stopped from going home , or they were getting bored !
Simply … Get A life ..
I say well done; what else do you want the women to do, sit it kitchen and make food or babies?
I think it is great step, recognizing and encouraging 50% population in the political process. which otherwise had been ignored in the political and decisioning process
Well MQM Is Middle Class ANd Educated Party ..!! We Support MQM
WELL LET ME TELL YOU IF YOU ARE NOT AWARE THAT MQM IS A TERRORIST AND FASCIST PARTY UNDER THE GARB OF A POLITICAL PARTY. Yon may not be aware too that thousands of innocent people have been killed by the thugs of this party.
hahahahahahaha
Get stuffed
Good step, MUCH needed. Maybe it will make women more likely to step out in society and be considered equals. We are missing half of our minds in this country because they are kept indoors, this will allow us to progress and become a much more vibrant society.
kion qaid-e-azam ke peeche per gayey hein sub .. ab to sukoon sey soney do onhey ..
jitnii awam imran khan k jalsay mein thi same itni women ki thi
Is Qisam K Jalso Ki Taqleeed Say Jageeerdarana O Wadayraaana Soooch May Qayed Khawateeen Ki Hosla Afzaaye Hogi Or Unki Himmat O Soooch May Musbat Inqeeelabi Tabdeeeli Ronuma Hongi Jo K Yaqeeenun Mulk O Qoom , Humari Aayenda Naslo May Shaooor Baydaaar Karnay May Ahem Kirdaar Sabit Hogi !
Is Jalsay Say Mutaliq Tanqeeed Bara E Tanqeeed Say Bheter Tanqeeed Bara E Islah Ki Jaye Jiski Moojoda Halaaat May Mulk O Qoom Ko Ashad Zarooorat Hy !
Bejaa Tanqeeed Kisi K Bhi Mafaaad May Nahe Hosakti !
Ye Waqt Mazi Ki Ghalatiyo Ko Dhooranay Ka Nahe Bulkay Mazi Say Seeekh Ker Mustaqbil May Qadam Rakhnay Ka Hy !
Mukhtalif Jamaaato K Karachi May Kamiyaaab Jalso Pr Altaf Hussain Ki Khulay Dil Say Mubarakbaaad Ka Atiraaf Kartay Hoye MQM K Jalsay Ki Tareeef Na Keeejiye Lakin Beja Tanqeeed Kar K Kisi Ki Bhi Dil Azaaari Say Bachiye !
Allah Pak Qoom K Dilo May Ak Doosray K Liye Ahetiraaam O Mohabbat Payda Farmaye Aameeen !
Altaf Hussain is a mental case
Look at the moron. He definitely looks imbecile.
sick leader sick followers
MQM won, loosers lost 🙂
Sorry I forgot you are same creed.
very biased…. don't worry u can do a lot better.. u'r probably new at this… 🙂 .. try registering for university …. that might help
I can not but express my disgust in deleting my comment. It proves my point that the media is held hostage by this terrorist and fascist so called political party. I would rather Mr Arif Nizami to investigate why the moderator has taken my comment so objectionable that it has been deleted. What sort of free media it is it? Better write a footnote when an article pertaining to MQM is published to say that any comment against MQM would not be entertained.
pathetic
marvelous……! writer discuss each and every situational points unbiasedly!
good job 🙂
Dear Moderators I hope you will reinstate my comment which I made early this morning.
why cant you admit the fact that MQM have a vote bank in Karachi…
and may be you are also not aware that thousands of Karachites killed by your so called leaders from 1965 just because they vote for a woman….
Concert… 😀
awesome…..each & every point has been appropriately discussed…….. thumb up
The author is biased , i would say he is not even true journalist.
Get over it yaar, MQM is the reality, wether you accept it or not but only MQM can change something in this country.
We Support MQM.
Good Work
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