Speaking at an impressive rally held to express solidarity with the Pakistan Army at the Jinnah Park, adjacent to the Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum, via video link from London, Mr Hussain assured the armed forces that the entire MQM was with them in the fight against militancy.

Despite Ramazan, a large number of MQM workers and supporters gathered at the venue before Iftar to express solidarity with the operation Zarb-i-Azb. Participants were carrying national flags and raised slogans in support of the army.

The MQM supremo, who has been living in London in self-exile for over two decades, used the opportunity to demonstrate his control over his workers, as there was a pin-drop silence in the Jinnah Park when he counted up to three.

He said that the army chief and his generals and jawans were a brave team fighting militants without caring for their own lives.

“This huge gathering salutes every officer and jawan of the army who are fighting and defeating the enemy on every front,” he said. “We also pay tribute to all those army men who sacrificed their lives in the fight to eradicate terrorism.”

Mr Hussain said the operation was the first phase after which the phase in which feudals, landlords and corrupt politicians would be held accountable in accordance with law would be launched.

Commenting on the treason trial of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, he said that if some people wanted to hold the retired general accountable under Article 6 of the Constitution, they have to take action also against former army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and all those who had aided and abetted Musharraf in his first coup in 1999. “Gen Kayani should be detained in a place next to Musharraf’s house,” he added.

Criticising the country’s judicial system, Mr Hussain said it was surprising that one prime minister was summoned in court and then dismissed, but no action was taken against another prime minister despite a number of cases against him.

He expressed sympathy for the people of North Waziristan who had to leave their homes due to the army operation. He appealed to the people to come up with donations for helping the internally displaced persons who had been held hostage by the Taliban.

Mr Hussain thanked Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, veteran politicians Ilahi Bukhsh Soomro, Mairaj Mohammad Khan and Ahmed Raza Kasuri and others for attending the event.

Representatives of various political parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, PML-Functional, PML-Q, Shaikh Rashid’s Awami Muslim League, Pervez Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League, Balochistan National Party and others also attended the rally.

They praised the MQM for standing behind the army, which is currently fighting on various fronts.

They said the soldiers and officers who sacrificed their lives for the country should be paid appropriate tribute.

The Muttahida had made arrangement for the Iftar of all participants of the rally. According to the MQM, it had distributed 100,000 Iftar boxes.

A few scenes of disorder were witnessed, but MQM volunteers controlled the situation in no time.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2014