Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Wednesday said elements killing Shias are conspiring to disintegrate Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam belonged to the Shia sect and murdering members of the minority community was similar to causing pain to the founder of the nation. “All patriotic Pakistanis must boycott such ruthless elements,” he said while speaking to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on telephone, a MQM press release said on Wednesday.
Hussain said it was a fact that founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah belonged to the Khoja Twelver Shia sect and when he died, two separate funeral prayers were offered. One funeral prayers was offered by Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani, and the other funeral prayer was offered by a Shia cleric. No one could possibly deny these historical facts. Anyone challenging this would be lying, he added. The MQM chief said Shias are also Pakistanis. Even Hindus, Sikhs and Christians living in Pakistan are citizens of equal stature, he added.