HYDERABAD: The Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) on Wednesday claim­ed to have gained support of almost all non-MQM parties and groups for its Sindh-wide strike call for Thursday (Oct 23) against the demand for a separate province for Mohajirs raised again by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Speaking at a press conference at Palijo House in Qasimabad, QAT president Ayaz Latif Palijo said that the Sindh United Party (SUP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, PML-Func­tional, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Jamaat-i-Islami, Sindh Tarraqi-pasand Party, Awami National Party and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party as well as Pakistan Peoples Party lawmakers from Sindh had declared their support for the strike call.

He said it would be a complete shutdown across Sindh on Thursday and no vehicle would be seen moving to show to the world that Sindh strongly opposed its disintegration as being demanded by MQM chief Altaf Hussain.

Mr Palijo alleged that the MQM had long been working on the plot to make Karachi a province under an international agenda. He made mention of the so-called ‘Jinnah­pur plan’ attributed to the MQM in the 90s, and said he and like-minded people believed that the MQM would first get Karachi separated from the rest of Sindh and eventually proclaim it (Karachi) an independent state on the pretext of the people being unhappy with the state (Pakistan).

However, he said, Sindh could never be divided as its 60 million population would strongly resist the international forces agenda of dismembering the province and the country. “They (international forces) will have to first eliminate the 60 million people and then think about Sindh division,” he remarked.

Mr Palijo was of the view that the MQM was forced to raise the demand for a Mohajir province because of some serious threat either to the party in Sindh or its chief in London. He noted an increasing political activity involving the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and JI in the province.

“Strangely enough, the PPP, PTI, PML-F and ANP which are parliamentary parties never raised the demand of a separate province for Mohajirs on the floor of the Sindh Assembly,” he observed.

He warned all non-MQM entities that once the MQM succeeded in getting Karachi separated from Sindh, it would start throwing them out of its stronghold, which could be given any name like Jinnahpur, Altaf Nagar or MQM Nagar and could be defended by the UN, US, UK or Nato forces on its rulers’ appeal.

He urged the Urdu-speaking people to join hands with their Sindhi brothers in order to get rid of the politics of militancy, bodies found in sacks and bloodshed.

He also appealed to “sane elements” within the MQM to dissuade the high command from seeking a separate province.

The QAT chief also asked the PPP and MQM not to sacrifice Sindh integrity in the wake of their differences over other issues.

Mr Palijo asked all protesters observing a strike on the call of his party to remain peaceful and not to force anyone to join in the protest.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2014