January 07, 2008	Monday	Zilhaj 27, 1428

KARACHI, Jan 6: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has said in a letter addressed to Sindhis that Mohajirs are not responsible for the Bhuttos’ killing still they are being targeted in Karachi and interior of Sindh.

“Mohajirs who migrated to Sindh in 1947 did not martyr Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Shah Nawaz Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto or Benazir Bhutto, then why in Karachi including interior of Sindh Mohajirs were (being) made target,” he posed the question in the letter, which was released to media on Sunday.

He said that the MQM was the first to declare three-day mourning and cessation of electoral activities soon after hearing the news about assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Dec 27.

“Our links with Ms Bhutto remained severed since 1997 other than the few indirect links. Eventually and only in the last few days we both came to the conclusion that in future we will not fall victim to the agenda of exploiters, opportunists and conspiracies since we are the inhabitants of Sindh and our existence is tied to this land,” the MQM chief said.

He recalled that after the suicide attacks on her homecoming rally on Oct 18 he had a long telephonic conversation with Ms Bhutto. “She told me that there are many things that she also understands better now and that we have to do it together, that we have already lost a lot due to misunderstandings and conspiracies.

“She said that she would meet (with him) on her next trip to London. I advised her to be extremely careful and vigilant. Sadly, this was my last conversation with her otherwise I would have advised her to run the party from abroad,” he said.

Altaf said “…the burning and destruction of the properties of Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi, Seraiki, Pakhtoon and other nationalities who joined MQM will not hurt Benazir’s murderers neither will it discourage them.”

He appealed to Sindhi brothers, mothers, sisters and elders to play their role to bridge this gulf as the enemies of Sindh wanted the province to remain divided on linguistic lines.