MQM WANTS CORDIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA: DR FAROOQ SATTAR

JOURNALISTS ARE DOING THEIR PART BUT THE POLITICIANS SHOULD ALSO PLAY THEIR ROLE: PRAKASH AKOLKAR

KARACHI: 18TH NOVEMBER 2011

Deputy Convener of the Co-ordination Committee of the MQM and Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr Farooq Sattar has said that the MQM was the foremost advocate of cordial relations between Pakistan and India. He said that the time had arrived for increasing people to people and media to media contact between the two countries. Relations between Pakistan and India could be improved by increasing mutual trade. Durable political relations could not be established in the absence of better economic and trade relations.

Dr Sattar expressed these views at a lunch hosted by the MQM in honour of the visiting Indian delegation of Mumbai Press Club in Lal Qila Ground Azizabad. The delegation was welcomed by deputy conveners Dr Farooq Sattar, Anis Qaimkhani, and members of the committee Wasay Jalil, Raza Haroon, Syed Mustafa Kamal and Kunwar Khalid Yunus. MQM parliamentarians and office-bearers of various wings of the party were also present on the occasion.  

Prakash Akolkar, chairman of the Mumbai Press Club thanked the MQM and Mr Altaf Hussain for inviting them at Nine Zero. He said that the Mumbai Press Club and the Karachi Press Club were co-operating with each other, and now it was the responsibility of the politicians strengthen the relations. He hoped that relations between the two countries would increase in the coming days.

Earlier Tahir Hassan, President of Karachi Press Club, said that the MQM was a big political party, and it could influence the government in establishing friendship ties between India and Pakistan. He said that there were strong bonds of friendship between the citizens of the two countries, but the feeling was less prominent in the politicians.

Wasay Jalil, who is also the in-charge of the central information committee of the MQM made the introductory speech and thanked the guests on their arrival. He said that the founder and leader of the MQM Mr Altaf Hussain had always been struggling for the progress and prosperity of both the countries.

The guests were given Sindhi Cap and Ajrak and souvenirs at the end of the programme.