HYDERABAD: Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo has said that whenever the Muttahida Qaumi Movement feels under pressure because of sudden developments in cases of Dr Imran Farooq murder and money laundering in the UK or startling revelations by Saulat Mirza, it renews its call for a separate province to divert people’s attention away from unsavoury scandals.

He condemned the demand for the new province by MQM chief Altaf Hussain and said his party would respond to it by organising ‘Mohabbat-i-Sindh’ rally in Karachi on May 1.

Mr Palijo said at a press conference at Palijo House in Qasimabad on Wednesday that MQM and PPP used their cards at different junctures to serve their vested interests and divert people’s attention away from the genuine issues.

He urged the federal government to hand over to the UK the two suspects -- believed to be held by law enforcement agencies — who were allegedly involved in Dr Imran Farooq’s murder.

He said that a large number of people from Sindh and other areas of Pakistan lived in foreign countries but they never demanded separate areas for them.

“I want to ask Mr Altaf Hussain can he spell out the injustices and compare them to what people have to face in Nagarparker, Kandhkot, Bhiria and other poverty stricken areas of the province,” he said.

Mr Palijo announced his party would organise ‘Mohabbat-i-Sindh’ rally in Karachi on May 1 and in Sakrand on May 22.

“$47 billion Chinese investment is coming to Pakistan.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must inform the nation how much of its share will go to Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?” he asked.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2015

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