February 06, 2008	Wednesday	Muharram 27, 1429

BAHAWALPUR, Feb 5: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain has promised that his party would remove deprivations of the people of Bahawalpur area if it was voted to power during the Feb 18 general elections.

In his telephonic address from London to MQM activists gathered at a local stadium here on Tuesday, Altaf said that the people of this area were equally dear to him like that of the other areas of the country.

He regretted that feudal lords, who had been ruling the country since its inception in 1947, had neglected the people of this area along with their countrymen. He said these were the feudal lords who opposed the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of subcontinent and only Mohajirs (Indian migrants) offered sacrifices for the creation of Pakistan.

He said the poor were being exploited by these elements for the past 60 years and the country also disintegrated into two halves because of the intrigues of such elements. He said the landlords had got loans worth billions of rupees waived during the past.

He also criticised the role

of ex-army generals, who,

he said, were also among those who had got their loans relinquished.

He said if the MQM was voted to power, it would recover all such relinquished loans from bigwigs to fill the country’s exchequer.

He claimed that the MQM stood for justice and equality and opposed tyranny. The people had tested politicians in every elections but they in return only disappointed their electorate, he added.

Now, he added, it was high time for the voters to once try the MQM and hence support its candidates mainly belonging to the middle class and that’s way they deserved their sympathies.

Supporting the cause of Kashmiri people, Altaf regretted that intelligence agencies always launched a propaganda against his party although he worked for the welfare of the people.

MQM chief criticised the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and said its leaders were not sincere with the masses. He said the chehlum of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had not passed yet, they (PPP leaders) were indulging with one another over the issue of nomination of party’s candidate for the office of prime minister.

Indeed, he added, they were power-hungry and they were only interested in seizing the power at any cost. Altaf appealed to all the political and religious parties to sink their differences and to forge unity for the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan.

He lauded the people of Punjab to welcome the MQM candidates.