PPP lauds MQM’s non participation in Jan 14 March

Pakistan Peoples Party on Friday welcomed Mutahida Qaumi Movement’s MQM decision of non participation in the January 14 march and both MQM and PPP advised Tahirul Qadri to cancel his march.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik lauded MQM’s decision of not taking part in Tahirul Qadri’s January 14 long march. Malik termed the MQM’s decision as wise and in the interest of the country. He also advised Qadri to cancel his long march.
Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira advised f Tahirul Qadri to defect on his decision of orchestrating a long march. Qaira also welcomed MQM’s decision of not participating in the long march. He hoped that Dr Tahirul Qadri would pay heed to the advice of MQM and the PPP. Replying to a question he said that “everybody has the right to protest and assemble‚ however‚ nobody would be allowed to disrupt public life. It is the responsibility of the government to protect the lives and property of the citizens”. Regretting the recent wave of terrorism in the country‚ the information minister said that certain elements were strategizing to delay the general elections in the country. He said that the government and its security institutions would foil all conspiracies against Pakistan. He said that the “backs of terrorists had been broken and they are on the run but they still have the capacity to perpetrate terrorist acts. There is a dire need to isolate these extremists for the complete eradication of the menace.
Earlier on Friday, Deputy Convener of Muttahida Quami Movement’s Rabta Committee Dr Farooq Sattar said that “MQM party will not participate in the long march being taken out by Minhajul Quran Internationa”. MQM announced non participation in Tahir ul Qadri’s long march of January 14 sighting the prevalent law and order situation of the country. He said that the party leadership had decided to not grant credibility to the ideology of Minhaj-ul-Qur’an International’s (MQI) Tahirul Qadri. He said that non participation in the march was taken as the party was not willing to put the lives of its workers in danger, adding that MQM had conveyed its decision of withdrawal to Dr Tahirul Qadri
Earlier, MQM chief, Altaf Hussain during his telephonic address from London had announced participation in the long march but the decision was withdrawn after deadly blasts in Quetta and Swat which killed about 120 people besides injuring hundreds of others.