IMPORTANT POINTS OF THE MQM CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE PRESS CONFERENCE 

Karachi - 12^th May 2007

• Dr. Farooq Sattar, Deputy Convenor of MQM Co-ordination Committee said that We believe that every Pakistani including the lawyer’s fraternity has the right to peacefully protest for the independence of judiciary. However, we condemn the politicising of the issue of presidential reference, which is totally a constitutional and legal matter. The opposition political and religious parties and certain lawyers’ organisations under the slogan of independence of judiciary are openly demanding for the dismissal of the democratically elected government which proves that their struggle is not for the independence of judiciary but for their political gains. The MQM will stand firm against any such effort to topple the democratically elected government through conspiracies.

• We have no objection on the Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry’s visit to Karachi and his address to the Karachi Bar; we respect the position of the chief justice and believe that he has all the right to address the Karachi Bar.

• The political and religious parties and certain lawyers’ organisations have not announced to take out a rally in Karachi on May 12, 2007 and they are openly declaring through press and media that they will demonstrate that Karachi belongs to them and not to the MQM. We accept the challenge of opposition political and religious parties and certain lawyers’ organisations and the world will witness on 12^th May who the people of Sindh support.

• We would like to make this very clear that the MQM rally on 12^th May is not against the Chief Justice of the judiciary – in fact, this rally is for the independence of judiciary and against the political jugglery under the slogan of independence of judiciary.

• We would also like to emphasise that we are not against peaceful rallies organised by political and religious parties and we do not want confrontation with anyone but we stress that we too have the right to take out a peaceful rally and the democratic norms demand that our right is also respected.

• The peaceful MQM Rally will be held on 12^th May and its venue is the Tibet Centre at the M. A. Jinnah Road. Smaller rallies will commence from various areas of Karachi and will converge to M A Jinnah Road to join the main rally. MQM Founder & Leader Mr Altaf Hussain will address the rally.

• Preparations are underway for the organisation of this rally and thousands of MQM office bearers and workers are working hard to make this rally a historic success.

• We appeal to the people of Sindh that for the independence of judiciary participate in large numbers and show to the entire world that they are with and support the MQM. We also appeal to all the party workers to observe patience and tolerance.