KARACHI, June 12: Founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf Hussain on Monday claimed that it was only the MQM that came to the rescue of earthquake victims in AJK. In an open letter he asked the people in Azad Kashmir to decide dispassionately as to who had helped them in their hour of crisis during last year’s earthquake.

In the letter, circulated here Monday by the party headquarters at Nine Zero, he addressed particularly to the ladies besides elders and the youth, reminding them the role of political parties who, according to him, did nothing except for lip-service at a time when disaster victims had lost their nears and dear ones, and were looking for shelter, food and medicines.

Those posing themselves as the supporters and sympathisers either turned deaf ear to their urgent needs or advised them to search for their lost relatives, he said.

It was Muttahida Quami Movement which immediately on learning of the tragedy, rushed cash of Rs5 million, and sent rescue workers, volunteers, doctors, nurses, medicines, including life saving drugs, and material loaded on some 500 trucks. Many more consignments and volunteers were rushed after regular intervals to alleviate the sufferings of the victims.

All those claiming to be champions of Kashmiris rights and presenting themselves as their supporters, remained on sidelines, or at best tried to supply peanuts to register their token presence.

Residents of the AJK were witness to the laudable efforts of the MQM and acknowledged that the picture painted before them of the party proved utterly wrong, claimed Mr Hussain adding that there was no parallel to efforts rendered for the relief and succour of victims by the Muttahida Quami Movement.

He asked the residents to do some soul searching. The moment they did that, they would feel convinced that it was the MQM alone which provided shelter and relief to the people.