KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) may have inadvertently reunified the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) by holding a power show in its stronghold of Liaquatabad.
The once estranged PIB and Bahadurabad factions of MQM-Pakistan have announced that they will hold a join rally at Tanki Ground in Liquatabad’s FC Area tomorrow (Saturday).
However, the topic of Kamran Tessori remained controversial and he was not allowed inside a late night meeting at the Bahadurabad faction’s headquarters. When PIB Colony leader Farooq Sattar reached the temporary headquarters late on Wednesday night, he was received by MQM Coordination Committee members Faisal Sabzwari and Aminul Haq.
The MQM leaders met and discussed various matters. Later, addressing a joint press conference, Sattar told the media that they have decided to hold a rally together on Saturday to ‘foil all the conspiracies against Muhajirs and the oppressed’.
“I will not let anyone insult Muhajirs. The rally will be a historical one and will break all previous records,” claimed Sattar, adding that the MQM is now one again. He alleged that before dividing Sindh, the PPP had divided the country.
Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the head of the MQM’s Bahadurabad faction, said that Muhajirs have united against the PPP. He alleged that the PPP always divides the people, while the MQM united the people.
“They say we united out of fear but I say that we united due to your biased policy,” he told the media.
According to sources, talks between the factions will continue.
Sattar said he has taken back his earlier announcement of a rally on May 4 for the sake of unity of the Muhajir nation. “We should unite to hold a rally,” he said. He said that he has been touring the Tanki ground for the past two days and was consulting with the public every day.
“The brothers over here said that regardless of what these people are and even if they are offered coins, they are still [MQM’s]. A hundred blows of a gold smith are comparable to one blow of an iron smith,” Sattar said.
“Sardar Ahmed told Haq and Sabzwari that Sattar is saying this rally is neither of PIB nor Bahadurabad but of MQM-Pakistan,” Sattar said. “The rally should not be of Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui nor of Farooq Sattar but of MQM-Pakistan,” he reiterated.
He went on to add that they must be united to fight for the rights of the oppressed people of all ethnicities. Sattar said that the residents of FC area have told Siddiqui that a single gathering should be held in the area. He added that they also want to bring back those who joined the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) into their folds. “We don’t want party members to chant slogans in the name of the PSP,” he said, adding that after their gathering, 90% of the PSP would rejoin the MQM.
Addressing Siddiqui, he said when the Muhajir people have forgiven them for their past mistakes, they too should move on and act wisely. Sattar said that they will have to save the unity of the Muhajir community.
“Our good days are coming and we will provide justice to each and every oppressed person in Pakistan. The system of tyranny that has been established for the past 70 years will be eliminated,” he vowed.
Also speaking at the press conference, Siddiqui appealed to the people of Karachi to participate in the rally to make it successful and tell the powers who are dreaming of bringing outsiders to Karachi that the Muhajir nation is awake. He also said that if MQM wins a majority, then along with urban cities of Sindh, the fate of rural areas will also be changed.
“Karachi is the jugular vein and the development of the city will benefit the entire country. A conspiracy against Karachi is tantamount to conspiracy against the entire country,” he claimed.
He claimed that the May 5 rally will prove to be a milestone in the politics of Karachi and the urban areas of Sindh. He said during their rally, no shops will be closed and people will not be under siege, in reference to the PPP’s recent rally.
He accused the PPP of sowing seeds of enmity since its first tenure in power and said that in an attempt to bridge the gap between Sindh’s rural and urban areas, the people have paid for it heavily. The Sindh government has sold each corner of the city, Siddiqui alleged.
He extended an invitation to people of all ethnicities to participate in the rally and prove that they were united under MQM-Pakistan’s flag and will always remain so. Siddiqui extended this invitation to all political parties in Karachi.
