January 10, 2006	Tuesday	Zilhaj 9, 1426

KARACHI, Jan 9: Leaders of various political and religious parties, including PPP and PML-N, on Monday declared the Muttahida Qaumi Movement a ‘terrorist outfit’ and resolved to initiate a joint struggle against it after Eidul Azha.

They were speaking at the All Parties Peace Conference (APPC) organized by the Sunni Tehrik at the Karachi Press Club.

Leaders of Pakistan People’s Party, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf and other parties and groups attended the conference.

They accused Gen Pervez Musharraf of being responsible for the growing incidents of crime and assassinations, saying that he was openly patronizing terrorists and giving them liberty to kill their political opponents.

Delivering his presidential address, leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro described the MQM as ‘ultimatum party’ and said that it had become a tool for the Establishment to suppress the political forces for raising public issues.

He said although the MQM emerged a minority party in the provincial election, it was asked to form a government. Gen Musharraf had openly admitted that he had purchased peace from the MQM, he said, observing that peace in Karachi was still a far cry.

Mr Khuhro further observed that frustration among masses was growing due to insecurity, and if present state of law and order persisted, it could lead to anarchy and ultimately to a civil war as security agencies were openly siding with terrorists.

“The government agencies, including police, are clearly supporting terrorists while judiciary and the parliament have become ineffective. This has resulted in deepening sense of insecurity in people and is highly dangerous for the country,” he cautioned, and pointed out that in spite of spending Rs12 billion annually on the law and order, peace could not be restored in Sindh.

In this context, he referred to the prevailing situation in the interior of Sindh where, according to him, people were being kidnapped for ransom, looted and even eliminated, while the Sindh home minister would always say that “everything is all right.”

The PPP leader said that only Gen Musharraf and security agencies, supporting the MQM, were responsible for killings in Karachi. “Unless all political forces get united and throw him out, there would be no change in the situation,” he declared.

ST leader Iftikhar Bhatti said the law of jungle was in force in Karachi as scores of ST workers, leaders and ulema were being killed but not a single culprit had so far been arrested despite the fact that most of the culprits had been identified.

He claimed that several localities of the city had been turned into ‘no-go areas’ for ST leaders and workers some of whom had been killed and many more were under a constant threat. He regretted that “nobody is ready to contain the MQM and curb its terrorist activities.”

JI leaders Birjees Ahmed, Nasrullah Shaji and Younus Barai told the APPC that it was the JI which had raised its voice against the MQM and its terrorist activities. Nobody had been taking notice of the JI’s contention but when all opposition parties were subjected to terrorism by this party, they started getting united against it.

The JI leaders pointed out that PPP, ST, PML-N and nationalist parties were also being killed and harassed now and holding public protests, all-parties conferences, etc.

Peace would not be restored in Karachi and other parts of the country until Gen Musharraf was there as he was quite satisfied with the ‘performance’ of the MQM, they observed, calling for the removal of the general.

PML-N leader Nehal Hashmi called for social boycott of the MQM. PTI Sindh chief Zubair Khan said that the Muttahida, whether in power or not, always believed in terrorism and extortion, and indulged in crime. The only way to get rid of it, was a relentless struggle, he said.

He also supported the idea of anti-Musharraf movement and suggested that opposition members in all assemblies should resign from the assemblies.

Basharat Mirza of PDP, Qamar Bhatti of JSQM, Mufti Usman Yar Khan of JUI-S, Khan Amanullah Khan, Abdus Sattar Khokhar of PAT and Qazi Ahmed Noorani of JUP were among those who spoke at the conference.

The conference issued a declaration demanding removal of the Sindh governmen.—PPI