It took MQM chief less than 24 hours to reverse his solemn pledge made in front of thousands of party activist, leaders and general public. The MQM announced that they had withdrawn from Dr Qadri’s long march, citing security situation as a reason. Has it taken MQM this long to discover that Pakistan suffers from terrorism? Pakistan has been suffering from it since 1985. MQM’s flip flops have over the year become a hallmark of its politics, running with the hare and hunting with hounds. Just a day after MQM chief vociferously emphasised that MQM would join the long march to Islamabad called by Dr Qadri, the MQM has backed off completely. The MQM is adept at all kinds of deft moves but the way it backed away from the march so soon after the fiery speech from its chief, surpasses almost all previous antics by the MQM.
I wonder why the MQM has no respect for the publically spoken words and declarations. The MQM chief’s two-hour long speech to his captive audience was made to justify his British nationality by bringing Quaid-e-Azam’s name into the controversy. Of course Jinnah had a British passport before independence but to equate it with those fleeing the country voluntarily and holding passport of the countries of their refuge is a travesty, a case of twisting facts to justify the unjustifiable. Would the MQM chief suggest a way the Quaid could have secured Pakistani passport before the country had come into existence? Finding a parallel between the Quaid’s upright and principled life and his uncompromising character and integrity reflects a degenerative mindset.
S T HUSSAIN
Lahore
