THE COUNTRY CAN ILL-AFFORD DISCORDS AMONG NATIONAL
 INSTITUTIONS AT THIS TIME: ALTAF HUSSAIN

INSTITUTIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY ARE BEING DEGRADED:
THE FAULT OF A FEW INDIVIDUALS CANNOT BE FOISTED ON THE INSTITUTION AS A WHOLE

 

KARACHI: 11TH JUNE 2011

The Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Mr Altaf Hussain said that the country was faced with grave internal and external security threats, the economy was in shambles and the institutions responsible for the national security were being degraded. He was addressing a large gathering of the workers of All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organization (AMPSO) and the MQM on the occasion of the 33rd Foundation Day of the APMSO. The address of Mr Altaf Hussain was relayed to more than 50 locations worldwide besides all the four provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir in Pakistan. The main congregation was held at the Lal Qila Ground in Azizabad Karachi

Mr Hussain said that the 33rd Foundation Day of the APMSO has come at a time when the country was in the grip of internal and external threats. The government was churning out currency notes in large numbers and making heavy borrowings while other countries of the world had stopped lending loans and giving aid. He asked if the world was at fault or there were some problems in our own system.

He said that while the country was passing through the most critical juncture a number game was going on in the country. Political gimmicks had become the order of the day. If a house was struck by a calamity the family members forget their internecine feuds and rose in unison for the safety of the entire family. He posed a question if the current fluid circumstances in the country allowed us to degrade the institutions responsible for the security of the country.

Speaking about the decision of the Honourable Supreme Court regarding the removal of Director General Rangers and Inspector General of Police of Sindh within three days in the wake of the horrendous killing of an unarmed youth Mr Hussain said that the misdeed of a few individuals should not be foisted upon the institution as a whole. Drawing an analogy from the corruption in the lower judiciary he asked if it was sensible to wrap up the entire institution of judiciary because of venal tendencies of some corrupt elements at the medium and lower levels in the judiciary.

Speaking about the heart-rending killing of the youth in Karachi he asked if the rangers acted on their own or had they taken prior permission from the highest authority of their institution. He said that no one knew more about the extra-judicial killings than us. He said in 1995 his 70 years old elder brother Nasir Hussain and 28 years old nephew Nasir Hussain who was a graduate of the NED University were arrested from their home. They were subjected to inhuman torture for three days and then killed in broad day light. But no one raised any voice against that heartless act.

Sympathizing with the family member of the youth killed by the rangers he said that he could understand their pain and suffering. He said that the rangers personnel guilty of the tyrannical act should be punished according to the law.

He said that even the MQM had to expel more than 3000 thousand workers because they were not following the ideology and the political philosophy of the party. There was not a single institution and political party in the country that had not some people who violated the rules and regulation of that institution or party.

He said that it was time to forge unity and harmony among the institutions of the state.  If the differences and discords among the institutions continued to simmer than the enemies would take advantage of the situation. He appealed to all to work with a sense of extreme caution. No one should take hasty decision.

He said that a constitutional way out of the present impasse was to file a review petition. The option of filing the review petition is available under the constitution of the country.

He said that Governor Punjab Salman Taseer was killed by a police guard belonging to the elite force of Punjab. Sri Lankan cricket team was targeted; offices of police and intelligence agencies were attacked. Even the GHQ was stormed by the terrorists. All these incidents occurred in the Punjab. He asked if that meant that the entire government of the Punjab should be dismissed and the Chief Minister of Punjab should be removed because the attacks had taken place in the Punjab.

He emphasized that a round table conference of the leaders of all political parties should be called immediately. Heads of the armed forces and the ISI should also be called in the round table conference in order to find a way to save the country from internal and external security threats.

Speaking to the Kashmiri people he said that the Kashmir people should think as to why the Kashmir dispute could not be resolved in the past 63 years. He asked if there was any other political party that came to the help of the Kashmiri people after the catastrophic earthquake and devastating floods.

He said that the MQM had been raising voice against injustices. He asked if any other political party took out a rally against the killing of Baluchi youths, leaders and workers. Who raised the voice for the rights of the province of Sindh the most? Who protested the most against the drone attacks in the tribal areas? Even today the MQM was not only pointing out the problems but also suggesting solutions for those problems as well instead of indulging in political scoring.

Earlier speaking about the foundation day of the APMSO he said that it had been alleged that the MQM was formed by a military dictator General Zia. Had it been so, he would not have been sentenced for nine months and 5 lashes by the military court in the martial law period in 1979 for making a peaceful demonstration for the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis living in the camps of Red Cross in Bangladesh in subhuman conditions.

He said that in the 33 years of his struggle he had to go to jail thrice but he did not ask for mercy. I had to suffer for the sins that I had not committed yet I did not bow down my head.

During the struggle, MQM had to face big operations. Thousands of workers were tortured in state torture cells and were martyred or they were taken to the street and extra judicially killed. Even today, the petitions for dozens of missing workers are still pending before the supreme court who were arrested in front of their family members. We do not know till to date weather alive or extra judicially killed

In the end he asked the party workers to work with diligence and honesty and refrain from corruption. He paid rich tribute to the martyrs who accepted to give their life instead of leaving the party. He praised all the workers who held fast in the face of hardships and worked with sincerity of purpose to spread the message of the party. He praised the family members of the martyrs and missing persons who underwent untold problems but remained constant in their commitment to the party.

He asked the students to give full attention to their studies. He told them not to resort to unfair means for passing examinations. He advised them to respect to their parents, teachers, elders and women.