Make good bilateral ties with Afghanistan rather than becoming deadliest enemy: Altaf Hussain
LONDON. [UK]. October 14:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) founding leader and supremo Altaf Hussain has urged Pakistan’s rulers to build peaceful and cooperative relations with Afghanistan instead of turning it into an enemy.
He made these remarks during his 330th public address on TikTok on Monday.
Hussain said that for decades the Pakistani nation has been told that the country is “passing through a delicate phase,” yet such warnings were ignored in the past, eventually leading to the tragic breakup of Pakistan in 1971.
He warned that Pakistan is once again facing extremely sensitive and dangerous circumstances, and the public must recognize how the establishment and the ruling elite operate “according to a pre-written script” to divert the nation’s attention from real issues.
He pointed out that recent national and regional developments clearly reflect this pattern. Referring to the Middle East Peace Conference held at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Hussain said that several countries signed a peace agreement presented by U.S. President Donald Trump which, notably, contained no mention of a Palestinian state. Pakistan, he said, “fully supported this agreement,” thereby indirectly recognizing Israel and abandoning the long-standing demand for a sovereign Palestinian state, a cause for which millions of Palestinians have sacrificed their lives.
Highlighting the recent devastation in Gaza, he said that over 70,000 Palestinians have been martyred, thousands wounded, and Gaza turned into ruins. “When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his admiration for President Trump and repeatedly saluted him, the whole world watched. Every patriotic Pakistani felt ashamed that the country, once proud of its sovereignty and dignity, had stooped so low,” he remarked.
To divert public attention from these humiliating acts, he said, the establishment created internal chaos. “On one front, Pakistan launched attacks along the Afghan border, claiming to have killed over 200 Taliban, while on another front, Tehreek-e Labbayk Pakistan (TLP), a group created by the military and ISI, was suddenly activated to protest in the name of Palestine,” he said.
He questioned why TLP remained completely silent for two years during Israel’s brutal bombing of Gaza, and only now when the conflict had subsided suddenly launched violent protests that led to clashes, burnings, and bloodshed. Referring to the Muridke incident, he condemned the brutal firing by police and Rangers on TLP protestors, which resulted in several deaths and injuries, including among law enforcement personnel.
Hussain further said that while Punjab was burning, another political diversion was staged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where controversies were deliberately fueled over the resignation of the Chief Minister and election of a new CM. “All these moves were meant to keep people distracted from the shameful events at Sharm El-Sheikh,” he added.
He appealed to members and followers of Tehreek-e Labbayk to open their eyes to this “deep conspiracy.” “By God and by the Holy Prophet (PBUH), understand how you are being used by others and made to sacrifice your lives for someone else’s hidden agenda,” he said. Altaf Hussain expressed deep grief and condolences over the deaths of TLP supporters, calling them “martyrs who were misled and victimized for political manipulation.”
In his concluding remarks, the MQM founder urged Pakistan’s rulers to end hostility with Afghanistan and work toward friendly bilateral relations. “Afghanistan is not only an Islamic country but also our immediate neighbor. Wars are not waged against neighbors; they are treated with respect and brotherhood,” he emphasized.
He also called upon the Pakistani people to question Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif: “When President Trump did not even mention the creation of a Palestinian state, why did the Prime Minister salute him?”