MIRPURKHAS: Mutta­hida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Farooq Sattar on Mon­day observed that all sorts of operations carried out against his party in the past failed to break it and any attempt made in future was doomed to failure.

He was speaking to party workers at different places, including Gharibabad, Hir­a­bad and Colony Chowk, while proceeding to the local MQM-P office at Market Chowk in a rally organised to welcome him to the city. Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, MQM-P parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly Khwaja Izharul Hassan, Amir Khan, and other senior party leaders accompanied him in the visit.

Dr Sattar expressed his pleasure over the unflinching spirit of party workers despite all odds and remarked: “It has become crystal clear to everyone that the Mohajir mandate for Haq Parast leadership is unbreakable; neither any operation nor any conspiracy can divide it.”

He shrugged off talk of groupings within the party and said those trying to create and lead factions would not be able to gain any public support. “All such factions are destined for Moenjodaro”, he confidently uttered amid loud applause.

Dr Sattar said the people of Mirpurkhas would surely elect an MQM-P candidate in the next general elections as was manifested in today’s rally. “It would be our second win in the contest for a National Assembly seat from Mirpurkhas after the 1990 victory,” he added.

‘Failure’ of all operations and conspiracies in the past cited to substantiate the claim

He said the party would soon hold its big public meeting here and the date would be announced at the Dec 8 show in Hyderabad.

“Dec 8 will mark clearance of filth from all cities of Sindh,” he said.

The MQM-P chief called for harmony between the Urdu-speaking and other communities in the country, saying that his party’s main objective was to get them closer to each other so that they could sort out and resolve their real issues jointly and amicably. This would promote love, peace and brotherhood across the province, he added.

He stressed the need for ensuring that merit was upheld and justice was dispensed.

He said “we are sons of those who had achieved Pakistan by rendering great sacrifices ... and we are always ready to offer such sacrifices to defend the country whenever the need arises”.

Expressing his gratitude to the audience for joining the rally in such a large number, Dr Sattar noted that not only Mohajirs but Sindhis, Punjabis, Pakhtuns, Baloch, Seraikis, Hazarawal and others were also seen participating in this rally.

Wasim Akhtar, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Amir Khan, Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani, Mujibul Haq and other senior leaders also spoke.

They vowed to work for the establishment of an airport, engineering and medical colleges and a university in Mirpurkhas after the next elections.

A tense situation was witnessed when the rally was about to pass through Colony Road, where the local administration had put up barricades. A strong contingent of police deployed there diverted the rally to Hirabad fearing some untoward incident as the area ahead is considered to be a stronghold of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP).

Anis Advocate, who had won the NA seat from Mirpurkhas in the 1990 elections, is now a central leader of the PSP and is said to have considerable following in the area.

After a brief argument with the police, the MQM-P leadership decided to move towards Hirabad as was advised by the police.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2017