01 March 2005	Tuesday	19 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, Feb 28: Muttahida Quami Movement chief Altaf Hussain on Monday strongly opposed use of force or any military action in Balochistan.

"Dialogue is the only solution to political problems," he said while addressing the 18th convention of the party's labour division on phone at Lal Qila ground in Azizabad.

He reiterated his party's commitment to quit the coalition if the government resorts to use of force in Balochistan. Mr Hussain vowed to continue struggle for banishing feudalism, and for ensuring a complete provincial autonomy.

Without provincial autonomy, he said, Pakistan's own survival is at stake. "MQM believes in democracy and solving problems through parleys", he said, adding it would never approve or be party to military operation in Balochistan or anywhere else.

He made it clear that every single worker of his party would treat the assault on modesty of Balochs as an assault on modesty on his own mother and sister. Mr Hussain suggested "United Sates of Pakistan" as the new nomenclature for the country, while demanding separate Seraiki province, asking the party's coordination committee to include in party manifesto the spirit of the aspiration of Saraiki people.

Feeling happy that Shaukat Aziz was the first prime minister to come from the masses, and had ascended to the present position. Through sheer hard work, Altaf Hussain offered to accept him as permanent prime minister should he chose to work for the well-being of the struggling masses.

The prime minister, he said, was doing a fine job. The MQM in return was ready to provide him the political platform which he lacked at present. He directed the Rabita Committee to include in MQM main festo the spirit of the aspiration of the people of Seraiki belt, and propose that a separate seraiki province be established.

He said that if the Punjab chief minister could announce free education up to matric, his counterparts in the remaining three province of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan too should have the right to do the same in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

The MQM leader dispelled the misconception that he was opposed to the Punjabis. He said he respected the right of every single nationality of the country. His opposition was against the feudals, be they Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochs or Mohajirs.

He hoped that his message would be understood clearly now, and those pseudo columnists who were engaged in painting him black would now see logic and reasoning and they would now refrain from spreading hatred between residents of different provinces.

Mr Hussain called upon the prime minister that as a commoner, he should abolish the jagirdari system and distribute the land occupied by the feudals among the poor farmers. "The society," he said, "can prosper only through building of a strong middle class and by eliminating the vested interests which had no other obligation but to run for power and pelf."

They want to be rulers without conceding the just aspirations of the broad masses of the country. Feudalism, therefore, has to go, without that the country would not progress.