LARKANA: Speakers at the Sindh Solidarity Conference (SSC) organised by the Sindh United Party (SUP) in the Abdul Latif Nizamani Labour Hall here on Monday rejected the Muttahida Qaumi Movement demand for a new province to be carved out of Sindh.

SUP chairman Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, who presided over the conference, said that the apparent war of words between the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement over the issue was a drama to bolster their respective vote banks.

According to him, the MQM is causing unrest among the people of Sindh to trigger bloodshed so that it could find a reason and justification for its demand by blaming the ‘tyranny’ on others.

He reminded the MQM that it was not the sole representative of the Urdu-speaking people, and argued that many of them supported various other parties. Mr Shah advised Sindhi youths not to get provoked by the fiery speeches of MQM leaders and activists.

To other parties, the MQM is not trust-worthy because it is a double-faced party that never sticks to its commitments, according to the SUP chief.

He said the MQM intentionally coined the word ‘Mohajir’ to ignite a fire, and added that political and nationalist activists should not be carried away by the fiery speeches as Sindhis had to protect everyone living in Sindh irrespective of their race.

“There are some forces bent upon pitching the Sindhi- and Urdu-speaking people in the province against each other, he said, and expressed his confidence that their nefarious designs would not succeed.

Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) senior vice chairman Dr Niaz Kalani said like the ‘One Unit’, the MQM move would also fail. He noted that all political parties and nationalist groups had rejected the MQM demand with one voice.

“[PPP chairman] Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari should be practical instead of merely uttering Marsoon marsoon, Sindh na daison, he said, and remarked that to the PPP the slogan could be a ladder leading to the power corridors but to Sindhis it was a resolution to defend the motherland.

Dr Kalani advised people to remain prepared for any situation arising out of the Sindh division issue.

Sindh JUI-F secretary general Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro describing PPP-MQM tension as Noora Kushti (fix­ed match), said “Karachi is the head of Sindh and those seeking to behead Sindh will bite the dust”.

The two parties had a history of re-marriage, he observed.

Former PPP MPA Haji Munawwar Ali Abbasi, Aijaz Samtio, Qamar Bhatti, Karam Hussain Wassan, Aslam Khair­puri, Babu Iqbal, Sufi Hazoor Bukhsh and others also spoke and condemned the MQM’s demand of Sindh division.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2014