Altaf
Hussain’s address to meet the press
Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) said that
Pakistan is passing through a critical period. It is therefore, imperative that
country’s establishment, people at the helm of affairs, political and
religious leaders should be sensible, tolerate each other and accept each
other’s existence, rather than labeling each other as traitors. He said that
we are ready to pardon and shake hands with all our political opponents. We also
ask our opponents that they should leave aside all differences and pardon us for
the sake of solidarity of Pakistan. Mr. Altaf Hussain said, “I want to see a
strong Pakistan and that is only possible when the army generals stop
interfering in the political affairs of the country”. He also announced that
if all political and religious parties agree on a single point agenda of
stopping the army generals’ interference in power and politics on a permanent
basis, MQM would leave the government and join the combined struggle. He
expressed these views in a ‘Meet the Press’ programme, in an historic
telephonic address from London at the Lahore Press Club, on Wednesday evening on
the invitation of Lahore Press Club. At the end of the long address, he also
answered questions. Speaking on the foreign policy of the country, Mr. Altaf
Hussain said that from his student days, he used to question the great political
personalities and intellectuals that friendship with any country is necessary
but there should be balance in this friendship. In our friendship with America,
are we creating an imbalance? With one country, we are very friendly to the
extent that for them, we were actively working against Russia. If tomorrow,
America changes its priorities, then what will be our position? He was given the
answer that Pakistan’s position is such in South Asia that America would
always need Pakistan. Based on this concept during the cold war between Russia
and America, Pakistani policy makers, establishment, civil, military bureaucracy
and political and religious parties, oblivious to the consequences, kept on
supporting America and the reason was given that since America was a believer in
one God, therefore, it is right to support America. When Russia captured
Afghanistan, the war between Russia and America was declared as a Jihad and
thousands of innocent people were killed in this war, because they were
persuaded that they are going for Jihad. He said that after 9/11, world’s
geo-political situation has changed completely. When the USA attacked
Afghanistan, we had no choice but to provide bases for the US forces. Those, who
until yesterday, called the USA, a friend of Muslims and called their war of
interest, a war for Islam, are against America today and have declared it to be
an enemy of Muslims. He said that every country in accordance with changing
conditions and its interests changes its preferences. Today, the USA has better
relations with India. Last month, all the world leaders, who attended the
International Conference in India, said that India should be given permanent
membership in the Security Council of the United Nations. And all agreed that
India, in the next 15 to 20 years, would become a Super Power, if the pace of
development continues. He said that America’s priorities have changed now.
Today, it is said that after Iraq, it will be turn of Iran or Pakistan! But now,
no one says that India’s turn would also come. Mr. Altaf Hussain said that
after 9/11, the pressure applied on Pakistan, left it with no choice but to
support the international community against the war on terrorism. He questioned
that had it been Benazir or Nawaz Sharif instead of General Pervez Musharraf,
what would they have done? Would they have opted to make Pakistan like Tora Bora?
He said that on the issue of sending Pakistani troops to Iraq, I opposed it
because it is not the job of Pakistan Army to kill Muslim brethren to protect
the interests of other countries. Our Army went to Jordan and killed
Palestinians, went to Somalia and killed Muslim Somalians. It is regrettable
that despite such actions, we call our Army a Muslim Army. Mr. Altaf Hussain
said that in 1948, the Army sent traibals to conquer Kashmir. Kashmiri elders
could be asked that how the Kashmiris were massacred and brutalized. Mentioning
the 1965 war, he said that Bhutto and other civilians advised General Ayub Khan
that we should attack to free Kashmir. They were also able to convince him that
India will not respond with a counter attack, across the international borders.
But, in response, India did attack and America was requested by Pakistan to stop
the war. Mentioning Kargil, Mr. Altaf Hussain said that on the one hand,
India’s Prime Minister Attal Bihari Vajpayee was being welcomed in Pakistan
and on the other hand, preparation to launch an attack on Kargil was being made.
He said that our policy makers estimated that by attacking Kargil, we would be
able to paralyze India’s economy, but on the orders of the USA, we had to call
back our armed forces and our forces even left behind the dead bodies of our
soldiers. He said that as a result of our one sided preference for America,
today we have neither America nor Russia as our friends. Mr. Altaf Hussain said
that when I went to India, I had put a proposal for the friendship between India
and Pakistan and for the solution of Kashmir problem that the Line of Control
should be accepted as a temporary border to start the negotiations but my
proposal was misinterpreted in Pakistan and baseless propaganda against me was
started. He said that it is on record that I had asked that India and Pakistan
should discuss, but decision on Kashmir should not be taken without the consent
of Kashmiri people. In India, I said that had I been around at the time of
partition, I would have opposed the division of India, because as a result of
the division of India, Muslims of the Sub-Continent are divided in to three.
Propaganda was waged in Pakistan against me that I have spoken against the
two-nation theory. He said that I had not spoken against the two-nation theory
but I had narrated only the historical facts. He said that the two-nation theory
was for all the Muslims of the Sub-Continent but the British kept on changing
the two-nation theory and finally the two-nation theory for the Muslims of
entire India shrunk to only four Muslim majority provinces. He said that why
Muslims of majority provinces were granted independence and Muslims of minority
provinces were left stranded? He said that my academic arguments should not be
seen through the eyes of prejudice. Mr. Altaf Hussain said that some biased
elements are saying today that Altaf Hussain has opposed the two nation theory
and has attacked the very basis of Pakistan, therefore Altaf Hussain is a
traitor. Some journalists even suggested that Jihad should be waged against the
people, who are speaking against the two-nation theory. He said that is it a
joke that when I was giving some factual points on two-nation theory, I was
declared a traitor while those, who were responsible for the dismemberment of
Pakistan, were rewarded! He said that I ask those self-proclaimed champions of
the two-nation theory that when Pakistan was dismembered in 1971, who violated
the two-nation theory? Who confined the two-nation theory into the 66 Red Cross
camps in Bangladesh with the stranded Pakistanis? He asked, what is the crime of
those stranded Pakistanis that they have been languishing in the 66 camps of Red
Cross. He said all those, who claim to be the champions of the two-nation
theory, couldn’t be true champions of the two-nation theory, until they demand
the return of the stranded Pakistanis. He said that the Chief Minister of Punjab
goes to India and declares that Sikhs of East Punjab and Muslims of West Punjab
are the same nation. He said the Chief Minister of Indian Punjab comes to
Pakistan and declares that the Berlin wall between East and West Punjab is no
longer acceptable. Jamaat-e-Islami invited the Sikhs of Indian Punjab to
Mansoora and said that our culture is same and our Gods are same and even after
all this, it is me who is declared traitor and baseless allegations are leveled
against me. Mr. Altaf Hussain said that today, Asghar Khan, Rouidad Khan and
other well-known personalities are saying that Bengalis did not want to
dismantle Pakistan, but we forced them to do so. He said that Mujeeb-ur-Rehman
was ready to give up his 6 points demand after discussions but we did not pay
attention and called him a traitor and sent army to commence operation and as a
result, we lost half of Pakistan. Mr. Altaf Hussain said that to prove me a
traitor, a very well organized conspiracy was started and baseless allegations
were leveled against me. Brig. Asif Haroon had invited the journalists from
Punjab and presented some false and fabricated maps and called it Jinnahpur and
the newspapers published this allegation in headlines. But later on, when the
Army denied the allegation of Jinnahpur, but this news appeared in the
newspapers in only four lines. He said that even today, propaganda is waged to
declare Altaf Hussain a traitor. Mr. Altaf Hussain said that I am not against
Pakistan but I am against the medieval feudal system. He said that I am not
against the Army but I am against the Generals, who think that governance is
their right and they themselves become feudal lords after their retirement. Mr.
Altaf Hussain said that I want to see Pakistan strong and prosperous and that
can only happen when the medieval feudal system is dismantled and the intrusion
of army in politics is stopped forever. He said that some political and
religious parties are waging protest against the issue of General Pervez
Musharraf’s uniform, that is not the solution of the problem. He said that if
all the political and religious parties are agreed on one point, i.e.
elimination of intrusion of Army Generals in politics, we are ready to come out
of the government and start a campaign with them. He said that the religious
parties, who are waging campaign on the issue of uniform, had signed on L.F.O.
On one hand, they are protesting while they are in the government in N.W.F.P.
and Balochistan. Mr. Altaf Hussain said that Pakistan is going through a very
critical period, therefore the ruling class, political and religious parties
should show some maturity and tolerance for each other. Trend of calling each
other a traitor should be stopped for the sake of the country, we are ready to
shake hands with our political opponents and are ready to forgive them and we
also ask them to forgive us. Mr. Altaf Hussain said that country cannot sustain
only on slogans but it can only be united with the implementation of judicial
system. He said that wishes of Sindhis, Baloch and Pakhtoons must be respected
and everyone should be treated as equal citizens. On the question of tribunal
for the accountability of the Army, he said that first of all, those people
should be punished, who were held responsible for the dismemberment of Pakistan,
according to the Hamood-ur-Rehm Commission report. Furthermore an accountability
commission should be established, that should be asked for the accountability of
everyone in position of power, including military personnel and the civilians.
Mr. Altaf Hussain said that another commission should be formed to investigate
the allegations against me. He said that if the people of Punjab were hurt by
any of his comments, he is apologizing for that. In conclusion, Mr. Altaf
Hussain said that he is very grateful to the journalists of Lahore for providing
him an opportunity to present his views to them. With understanding and
tolerance, we shall become one.