21 July 1999

The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP
The Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London SW1

Dear Prime Minister,

HUNGER STRIKE AGAINST THE ANNIHILATION OF MOHAJIRS IN PAKISTAN

Being the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, you are asked by different ethnic groups in different parts of the world to intervene and ask their Governments to stop subjugating and annihilating ethnic minorities in their respective countries, as you did in Kosovo and Bosnia.

The Mohajirs are those who migrated to Pakistan in 1947 after making huge sacrifices, including 2 million lives for the creation of Pakistan, have been discriminated against and victimised in all walks of life by successive governments, including the present government of Nawaz Sharif. The persistent act of discrimination against Mohajirs had left no choice but to organise themselves to obtain their rights under the banner of the MQM (Muttahida Quami Movement) which was formed in 1984, and which emerged as the third largest political party in Pakistan, and second largest in the Sindh province through contesting elections held 1988 and 1990. The governments did not accept the mandate of over 22 million Mohajirs, and started an Army operation on 19 June 1992, which is still continuing. But despite all the brutalities of the government, MQM maintained its vote bank and won a landslide victory in the 1993 general elections.

The act of persecution intensified in the regime of Benazir Bhutto and extra-judicial killings became the order of the day. More than 16 thousand MQM leaders, workers, and their relatives have been killed. Despite the genocide of Mohajirs, MQM managed to maintain its position and again emerged as the third largest political party in Pakistan and the second largest in Sindh, in the general elections of 1997. The government of Nawaz Sharif has intensified the ongoing operation and excesses against Mohajirs, and the democratic set up was torn apart and a Governors rule was imposed on 30^th October 1998. The genocide of Mohajirs has reached its peak. Arrests of innocent Mohajirs and their extra-judicial killings are carried out with impunity. We cannot get justice anywhere in Pakistan, including the judiciary, because the judicial system has been destroyed through barbaric Presidential Ordinances by the government of Nawaz Sharif.

More than 40 MQM workers who have been sentenced to death through pseudo judicial process- they are awaiting justice, but all the doors of justice have been closed for Mohajirs.

We request you in the name of God and humanity to intervene and ask the government of Pakistan to stop the genocide of Mohajirs, and also ask the Government to restore the Sindh assembly, and respect the mandate of over 22 million Mohajirs in Sindh province, and to provide them their fundamental rights.

I am observing a token hunger strike against all the excesses of this government.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Sheikh Liaquat Husain.
Parliamentary leader of the MQM in the National Assembly of Pakistan.