KARACHI, March 15: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement condemned what it called the use of abusive language against the people of Sindh by some participants of the long march in Lahore on Sunday and warned that it would quit the federal and provincial governments if the government of Sindh did not take serious notice of the matter and a decision against it ‘within 48 hours’.

The 48-hour ultimatum was given after an emergency meeting of the MQM’s Coordination Committee held simultaneously in Karachi and London to review the party’s strategy in the wake of new developments.

A press release issued here on Sunday said that the coordination committee ‘condemned in strongest terms the hateful slogans’ raised by people in the long march in Lahore against the people of Sindh.

It said that such hateful slogans would not be tolerated and the Sindh government should take serious notice of the matter.

The committee decided that the MQM would part ways with the federal and provincial governments in protest if the Sindh government took no decision within 48 hours against the despicable act.

The press release said the coordination committee had conveyed its decision about quitting the federal and provincial governments to MQM chief Altaf Hussain for endorsement.

However, neither the press release nor any leader of the party this correspondent spoke to said anything about the decision the party expected the Sindh government to take.

Till the filing of this report, the MQM chief had not endorsed the coordination committee’s decision.

However, according to another press release, the MQM chief regretted the hateful slogans raised during the long march against President Asif Ali Zardari and the province of Sindh and its people. He termed the incident a disrespect to the people of Sindh but appealed to them to remain calm.

Meanwhile, Mr Hussain pledged on Sunday that his party would one day dismantle the feudal system in the country.

In a telephonic address from London to a convention of MQM’s US chapter held to celebrate the party’s silver jubilee, he said that soon after the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan, feudal politicians had taken over power, joined hands with some corrupt generals and laid the foundation of the feudal-military nexus that was later joined by religious fanatics.

MQM leaders Farooq Sattar, Karachi Nazim Mustafa Kamal, Pakistan Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani and former US ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlain attended the function, according to a press release received here on Sunday.

Mr Hussain said that corrupt feudal leaders and generals marginalised the Mohajirs in a sustained manner, and treated them as third-grade citizens.

He said that the MQM was the only liberal and secular party in Pakistan which opposed religious fanaticism and terrorism. “The MQM has been the main ally of the government of Pakistan and the United States in the global war against terrorism,” he added.
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