ALTAF HUSSAIN LAMBASTS MULLAHS FOR OPPOSING WOMEN BILL,
WARNS THEM AGAINST STRIKES

Karachi (Nov 16)---MQM Founder & Leader Mr Altaf Hussain lambasted  the so-called champions of Islam tonight for opposing the Women Rights Bill, and while he announced a women's rally in Karachi tomorrow, he simultaneously asked the Muttahida Majlis-Amal (MMA) to desist from resorting to strikes or street agitation because such an exercises will be stoutly resisted.

“MMA should hang its head in shame for refusing to resign their assembly seats” he told a huge crowd at the party’s nerve center “Nine Zero” to congratulate the people on the adoption of the historic Women’s Rights Bill by the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The crowd chanted slogans of down with “religious extremism” and “down with fake maulvis” and danced with joy as Mr. Hussain gave details of the long struggle his party had gone through for women’s emancipation in Pakistan.

He said that the MMA which had been threatening to resign their parliamentary seats in case the bill was passed, had gone back on its words. It ate a humble pie, he said, but reminded the people that “we in MQM never believed in their threats. We knew from day one that the threats would never materialize”.

Mr Hussain added that so-called mullahs, fake maulvis, and MMA have been speaking lies. They wanted to play on the sentiments of the people but were never really sincere in their approach to solving the legitimate problems of the people.

MMA and their likes were deadly against womenfolk and had been trying ceaselessly to deny them their rights. It was the MQM which blocked their way, and would frustrate their designs in future also.

“If any attempt is made to organize strikes or street agitation by the MMA, people of Pakistan will foil these attempts, he said, and made it clear that his party would stand in the way of attempts to deny the womenfolk their rights guaranteed by the society and the religion.

The passage of the Bill had exposed the so-called mullahs and the MMA. They have no face to show to the people of Pakistan. They had been holding out verbal threats which they knew they will not be able to fulfill. Now they stand defeated and the will of the people has finally prevailed. This was a victory for the people of Pakistan for which they deserve heartiest congratulations.

He appealed to ladies of all areas of Karachi to come out in large number at the rally which will start from Guru Mandir tomorrow after Friday prayers and terminate at Tibet Centre on M A Jinnah Road.

The ladies should prove that it was a common cause for all, and therefore ladies of all castes, colour, religion, rich and poor must participate in tomorrow’s rally, he said. The MQM leader asked the party workers to make announcement on mobile vans fitted with loudspeakers from North Karachi to Defence and Clifton about the rally in order to mobilize them for the big occasion.

He said that MQM would continue to struggle against all kinds of tyrannical or discriminatory laws against womenfolk of the country and would see to that their cause for emancipation in fully backed.

Mr Hussain also congratulated the party MNAs, and the Rabita Committee members including Dr Imran Farooq for working hard to ensure the passage of the bill on Wednesday. He said it was a joyous occasion for the people of Pakistan and ladies especially. The bill’s passage was yet another feather in the cap of the party.