KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has appealed to the ‘establishment’ to forgo what it called the bitter past and grant it clemency like the general amnesty offered to the ‘angry Baloch’ people.

“Just as clemency is being announced for the estranged Baloch people, the establishment should also heal the wounds of Mohajirs by forgetting past bitterness,” the MQM coordination committee said in a statement issued on Sunday.

Referring to reports about certain workers who had gone to India over 20 years ago and who allegedly confessed to having been trained there, the MQM said that any worker who had gone to the neighbouring country for saving his life after the launching of the June 19, 1992, army operation “did so without informing the party”.

“The MQM has nothing to do with the training of the people who had gone to India.”

It said that the MQM was a patriotic political party and it would continue to be unconditionally loyal to Pakistan.

Party says ‘bitter past’ should be forgotten and wounds of Mohajirs should be healed

Explaining the reasons behind some of its workers deciding to go to India, the statement said that after the June 1992 operation against the MQM “thousands of workers were forced to go to different parts of the country for saving their lives”.

It said that some workers had also gone to the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, etc., where they sought asylum.

“Some went to India for saving their lives as they could not go to any other country. These MQM workers chose to go to India because they had family ties in India, and they thought that they would not face the hardship of homelessness and hunger.

“The workers who had gone to India for saving their lives did so without informing the MQM, and this cannot be called the policy of the MQM,” it said.

The MQM said it could not even think of any plan against the country.

The committee appealed to the establishment to review its policy on the basis of these facts and urged it to “stop isolating Mohajirs” from the mainstream.

About its appeal for general amnesty, the MQM said the establishment should heal the wounds of Mohajirs, forgetting the bitter past.

“Such a step would be in the interest of the nation and the country and the MQM will extend its fullest support to it,” the statement concluded.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2015

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