Revolution has become fate of country: Altaf
* MQM chief urges youth in Punjab to join hands with his party and asks army, rangers and police to support poor
* Says his party will support creation of more provinces, proposes referendum on it
By Masroor Afzal Pasha
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has said that revolution has become the fate of the country.
In his telephonic address at the MQM’s Qaumi Yakjehti Jalsa (National Unity Meeting) at Jinnah Ground in Azizabad on Sunday, Altaf said, “Whenever I spoke about a revolution, I was criticised and questions were raised about revolution.”
“Revolution is unfolding in Tunis and Egypt which everyone can see. This assembly in which people from all ethnic and cultural entities are participating is a revolution in its own right,” he added.
He said, “I ask the journalists and intellectuals from Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and other parts of the country that have come here to witness this public meeting to see for themselves if the people present here were brought out through force or at gunpoint.”
“MQM does not have guns that kill, but it has the guns and rockets of love, peace and brotherhood,” he added.
Only a revolution would usher in an era in which those looting the country and orchestrating kidnappings-for-ransom should be publicly hanged, he said, adding, “The properties of landlords and feudals will not be destroyed rather educational institutions and hospitals will be established on them.”
Altaf called upon the youth in Punjab to join hands with the MQM and asked the “army, rangers and police to support the poor at the time of revolution.”
No politician said anything when the American government demanded repatriation of its “citizen who murdered three youths in Lahore,” he added.
If the US government wanted Raymond Davis to be released then what about releasing Dr Aafia, he questioned.
“Balochistan is part of Pakistan and discussion should be held with the Baloch people instead of opening fire at them,” Altaf stated.
He called for immediate eradication of extortion in Sindh or the “path of revolution will be adopted.”
Altaf said his party would support the idea of creation of more provinces in the country and proposed holding of a referendum on the issue.
Increasing the number of provinces would only strengthen the country, he said. “Creation of more provinces will strengthen the country,” he observed.
“Democracy means common people, but has there been a government of common people in the past 63 years, or has it been the rich elite, feudal lords and capitalist forces ruling the country,” he questioned.
“Do you want to perpetuate the democracy of only two percent ruling elite that plundered the national wealth or do you want a democracy with clean and honest people from the rest of the 98 percent of the country,” he remarked.
“The economy of the country would not be salvaged by printing the currency. It could be improved by cutting government expenses and reducing the size of the cabinet,” he advised.