AWAKENING OF THE PUNJAB WILL BE THE AWAKENING OF PAKISTAN: ALTAF HUSSAIN
LONDON: 8TH APRIL 2011
The Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Mr Altaf Hussain has said that the people of the Punjab particularly the younger generation and the students will have to come forward if Pakistan is to be cleansed of corruption, loot and plunder. “Awakening of the Punjab will be the awakening of Pakistan and the day the people of the Punjab rise, Pakistan will start moving ahead in the right direction.”
Mr Altaf Hussain said this while talking to a gathering of members of the Co-ordination Committee, Zonal Committee of MQM Lahore Zone, Provincial Committee, MQM parliamentarians, youngsters, elders and women at the Punjab House, the Central Office of the party in Lahore.
He praised the MQM workers, office-bearers, parliamentarians, students, women, elders and youngsters who have been working continuously for the public meeting being held on the 10th April. He also congratulated all the workers in advance over the success of the upcoming public meeting.
He said that the younger generation plays a key role in the development and progress of any country and the students of Punjab studying in schools, colleges and universities will have to join in the struggle for making the country free from the taints of corruption and establishing a just and equitable system in the country. He hoped that the youths of the Punjab will work for making the public meeting on the 10th April the largest in the history of the province.
He said that the role of women in the progress and prosperity of any country is of utmost importance. He praised the efforts being made by the women and girl students in the struggle of the MQM in the Punjab.
He deplored the comments made by an analyst in which he equated the collection of donations for the public meeting to extortion. He asked if there was no political organization in the country that does not collect voluntary donations from the public. He asked if the political parties in the United Kingdom not collect donations at the time of election. He further asked if the presidential candidate in the United States not collect donations for election fund in public meetings and gatherings. He asked if the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) not collect resources from the people in the event of any necessity.
He declared that no revolutionary movement in the world has succeeded without contributions from the public. He warned that it was the chauvinist analyst that spread venomous propaganda in the past and caused the secession of East Pakistan as Bangladesh and now the same prejudiced and myopic elements want to tear apart the remaining Pakistan.
He said that such vitriolic propaganda was made against the MQM in order to create a feeling of strong aversion against the MQM particularly in the Punjab but now the people of the Punjab have witnessed for themselves the struggle being made by the MQM and have understood that the allegations against the MQM are baseless.
He asked the MQM workers not to lose heart in the face of sharp criticism and their poisonous discussions. He said that we may belong to different religions, we may follow different schools of thought but we are linked together by the thread of Pakistan and our thoughts are nothing but Pakistani.
He said that we want to bring in a just and equitable system in the country in which all citizens are equal in the eyes of the law. He said that if there were an MQM government then it will work to end the division between the rich and poor and the menace of corruption, loot, plunder, crimes and flagrant injustices.
He said that the MQM government will ensure legal action against those who forced bonded labour of the bhatta mazdoors (kiln labourers) and women will be protected against inhuman treatment.