KARACHI, March 18: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has said that a big cache of arms and ammunition was being distributed in the metropolis as a part of conspiracy to target MQM workers and sympathisers.

He was addressing a gathering of MQM workers and supporters on telephone from London at a programme held here to observe the 24th foundation day of the party on Tuesday night. The address was relayed simultaneously to 25 cities of the country, including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Mr Hussain said that a conspiracy was being hatched by unscrupulous elements to engineer riots in Karachi and a large cache of arms was being distributed to gag the voice of Muttahida workers. “We want peace and do not want fighting but any attempt against us will be paid back in the same coin,” he remarked.

The gathering replied in the affirmative when Mr Hussain asked whether Muttahida workers and sympathisers were ready to face future challenges.

He thanked the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) and other opposition parties for nominating MQM’s Dr Farooq Sattar as their joint candidate for the prime minister slot.

“Asif Ali Zardari is saying that they will talk to the MQM after forming a government and with the permission of Nawaz Sharif but we do not want charity,” he said. Despite all this, he added, the Muttahida would continue to support every positive step of the next government.

He said that the opposition parties got success in the February 18 general election from all the four provinces unlike the Nawaz Sharif-led Muslim League which was limited to Punjab.

Criticising the remarks of Nawaz Sharif that he was inheriting an economically collapsed country, he questioned: “Why don’t you (the PML-N) announce that you will play the role of the opposition instead of running after power?”

Mr Hussain said that some political and religious parties were spreading a negative propaganda against the MQM but all such conspiracies would be thwarted as the propaganda would not limit the struggle of the MQM that wanted to root out the feudal system from the country.

Recalling that the MQM was formed on March 18, 1984, he said that it had been struggling for the rights of the oppressed people since then. He congratulated the people on the 24th foundation day of the MQM. “The MQM had been termed an anti-state party and even it was blamed for hatching a conspiracy to create Jinnahpur. However, the establishment failed to stop the MQM’s struggle and today the message of the party has spread to the whole country,” he added.