National Assembly Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah reiterated Sunday that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would not tolerate the division of Sindh, adding that politics in the name of religion and sectarianism should be avoided.
Shah’s statemnets came at a time when Mutahhida Qaumi Movement (MQM) observed a Black Day in Karachi to protest against Shah’s earlier use of the word “muhajir” in a “dergatory manner”.
Talking to media personnel, Shah said that “muhajir” and “Sindhi” were merely words and that his statement about the word “muhajir” was being taken out of context.
“I only meant that repeatedly flaunting the term is not appropriate just as most people do not repeatedly mention their castes, tribes and family names,” he said.
He said that MQM understands politics as it was Muhajir Qaumi Movement in the beginning and later changed into Muttahida Qaumi Movement “as the party leaders knew they could not do politics in Karachi this way”.
People’s sentiments are being incited using religion, Shah asserted, adding that such a move was against the country’s stability and was like playing in the hands of the enemy.
Shah reiterated PPP’s stance that no negotiations could be held on MQM’s demand of making a new province in Sindh.
“All, including the Urdu-speaking people, living in Sindh are Sindhis. No discussion will be held on division of this province. We are ready to die for the integrity of our motherland but will not allow anybody to divide it,” said Shah.
