LAHORE/RAWALPINDI/MULTAN – Muttahida Qaumi Movement Chief Altaf Hussain while predicting a massive revolution in Punjab against those, who have been responsible for depriving the masses of their rights, appealed to the people of the province to rise against the plunderers of national wealth.
He was addressing the MQM convention held simultaneously in Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi. In Lahore, Deputy Convenor MQM Coordination Committee Dr Farooq Sattar, Mustafa Kamal, Faisal Sabzwari, leaders of MQM, Punjab chapter and several other members of the party attended the event.
Proposing creation of new provinces on administrative grounds, Altaf said the formation of new provinces, as proposed by him, would further strengthen the Federation.
Describing the MQM convention as the beginning of a sort of revolution against the excesses, perpetrated by the feudal and capitalists of the Punjab, he urged the people of the province to rise against such elements in a bid to snatch back their rights, as the angels would not descend from heavens to solve their problems.
The MQM Chief said Lahore enjoyed historical importance, as Pakistan Resolution had been observed here in 1940, which had laid the foundation of a new Muslim state.
The people of Punjab assembled in the City in 1940 to demand a new state for the Muslims of the sub-continent, and today they had gathered in the same City to save the country from the plunderers of national wealth and to end the exploitation by the feudal and capitalists, he maintained.
Altaf further said the historical convention had laid the foundation stone of the struggle aimed at saving the people of the country and especially the largest province of the Pakistan from the excesses perpetrated by the feudals and the capitalists.
Warning the plunderers of national wealth, as well as feudals and capitalists to end their wrongdoings, he said MQM was coming to Punjab with the support of the 98 per cent oppressed classes to wipe out the exploitersÂ’ groups.
The MQM Chief said he had been tagged as a terrorist and anti-state element because he had enjoyed the support of the middle and working classes of this country, asserting such allegations had never interrupted his struggle for the rights of the working classes.
He said: “Altaf is not a paper lion but he is a lion in reality and he will not let the oppressors deprive the 98 per cent poor and middle classes of their rights.”
He said he had also been accused of giving negative remarks against Dr Allama Iqbal, while he instead disseminated the real message of the visionary poet, philosopher and thinker among the masses by raising voice in front of the tyrant rulers.
“He is the enemy of all the plunderers of national wealth and his party would get back the plundered wealth after coming into power and distribute it among its real owners. The MQM will clear country’s debt by selling feudals’ land,” Altaf added.
He said his party would distribute the huge land holdings among the working classes of the country if it came to power. He said MQM would introduce one system of education and health facilities for all besides ending energy crisis, unemployment, price-hike and solve other problems faced by 98 per cent people of this country if it was voted to power.
He claimed that his party was the sole political force that could solve the issue of water and address demands of people of Hazara and southern Punjab and Balochistan, while it would also settle the issue of Kashmir according to the aspirations of the Kashmiris.
He deplored the fact that several elements had prevented MQM from spreading its message in Punjab, but todayÂ’s successful conventions at Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan foiled all such conspiracies.
The MQM Chief congratulated the people of Punjab for laying a peopleÂ’s revolution foundation stone. He said MQM convention had three slogans for Punjab: Revolution; end of victimisation perpetrated by feudals and capitalists, and participation of working class in the corridors of power.
Meanwhile, the MQM succeeded in staging quite an impressive show in Lahore despite the fact that most of the participants had come from Karachi and Hyderabad, with only a small number of people from various parts of Punjab.
The entire show was managed by the MQM as the local leadership played a marginal role in the arrangements. Some local leaders seeking anonymity told this scribe that nearly 30,000 people had arrived here from the urban centres of Sindh and MQM strongholds to participate in the convention, adding that most of them had been directed to reach Lahore while the remaining headed towards Rawalpindi and Multan.
Several participants, who came here from various parts of Punjab, said that they had joined the MQM ranks in the last few months, while many of them were the former members of major political parties including PPP, PML-N and PML-Q. It means that the MQM has remained successful in reaching out to the masses at the grass root levels, which can enable it to get some political share in Punjab in the times to come.
Meanwhile, the main feature of the MQM convention was party Chief Altaf Hussain’s address, which started at about 5pm after a nearly two-hour long delay. Before his address, party leaders and workers sang and danced to the tunes of party song, ‘Mazloomon Ka Sathi Altaf Hussain’ and chanted slogans in Altaf’s favour.
Altaf Hussain, to express his attachment with the people of Punjab and Punjabi, recited folk poetry of Bullay Shah and also read the poetry of
Allama Iqbal.
Thousands of participants could be seen inside and outside the Alhamra Hall where the programme took place, while a large number of party workers were scattered at The Mall, Edgerton Road and the adjoining roads and surroundings.
The organisers had constituted several committees to manage the programme, which looked after traffic, vigilance, media and stage, while guides were also deputed at Egerton Road, The Mall and adjoining areas to assist the people in reaching the venue.
The venue and surrounding were decorated with posters, banners and flags of the party, while a big hoarding with the picture of Altaf Hussain was installed behind the stage.
The convention was held amid tight security, which was jointly handled by the police and MQM Vigilance Committee.
In Rawalpindi, a good number of people including men, women, youngsters and children heard telephonic address of MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain here at Liaqat Bagh on Sunday.
Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri while addressing the gathering said that MQM was a big political party and it believed in politics of principle. He said that MQM had entered Punjab and would change the fate of downtrodden people of the province. He said that MQM would kick out all the looters from the province who were busy sucking blood of the poor.
Ghauri was of the view that 98 per cent masses were being ruled by two percent elite class and it was regrettable. “MQM after coming into power will free the poor from the grasp of the elite class,” he added.
The Federal Minister said that his party would issue tickets to persons hailing from middle class in the elections, as this was the only way to steer the country out of crisis. He said that MQM would initiate in a net of development work in Rawalpindi and turn it into Karachi.
He said that owing to wrong policies of the rulers, the destitute segments of the society had been deprived of basic rights such as bread, cloth, shelter, justice, health and education. He said that his party leader would provide basic rights to the people at their doorsteps. He said that people had gathered to save Pakistan and people should stand to snatch their basic rights from the hands of elite class.
Addressing the convention, MQM leader Wasim Akhtar said that MQM, which was country’s third and Sindh’s second largest political party, would soon become the largest party in Pakistan. He urged the masses to bring forward their representatives from the middle class. “How long shall we continue to vote for the people, who have nothing to do with our class,” he maintained.
He said that they had raised their voice in the National Assembly on issues and would try to bring the 19th Amendment.
Strict security measures had been taken by police on this occasion and walkthrough gates were installed at the entrance points. City Traffic police made special traffic plan and blocked all the roads leading to Liaqat Bagh and diverted the traffic flow to some other alternative routes.
The MQM workers wearing national and party flags, and party caps reached Liaqat Bagh even in hot day with portraits of their Quaid Altaf Hussain. They were chanting slogans in favour of Altaf. The whole Liaqat Bagh as well as Benazir Bhutto Road were decorated with huge portraits of Altaf and party flags.
In Multan, about 5,000 people from entire South Punjab had gathered at Kalma Chowk to listen to MQM Chief Altaf HussainÂ’s telephonic address to the MQM Punjab convention, independent sources said. Holding party flags and portraits of Altaf Hussain, the MQM workers kept pouring in on cars, busses and other vehicles from different areas like Vehari, Mailsi, Jahanian, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Rahimyar Khan, Sadiqabad and Muzaffargarh throughout the day. They also chanted slogans in favour of MQM.
Besides illuminating the venue, the MQM workers decorated the pandal with party flags and Altaf HussainÂ’s portraits. Though the convention was scheduled to take place inside Multan Arts Council, the organisers made arrangements outside the council building on main road as the number of attendants exceeded than their expectations. Besides others, MQM MNAs Haider Abbas Rizvi and Asif Hussain, provincial minister Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, MPAs Rehan Zafar, Khalid bin Wilayat, Shoaib Bokhari, members of Rabta Committee Wasim Aftab and Iftikhar Randhawa were also present on this occasion.
Local police made strict security arrangements as the entrance to the pandal from Kalma Chowk area was blocked and all participants were asked to park their vehicles at District Sports Ground and come to the pandal on foot. Body scanners were installed at the entrance of the pandal and all participants were frisked with metal detectors by the cops before permitting entry.
Similarly, all streets and turns leading to Multan Arts Council from Bokhari Colony and Nishtar area were cordoned off by the cops and no one was permitted to move ahead.
The city witnessed worst-ever traffic jam after the convention had ended. Most of the city roads were already dug and closed to traffic because of execution of Prime MinisterÂ’s Development Project and the entry of unprecedented number of vehicles made the situation even worse.