MULTAN, Oct 8: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Husain has alleged that the establishment wants that the feudal lords control over political affairs of the country.

He was speaking at a workers rally from London through telephone on Tuesday evening.

He regretted that the country could not be liberated from the clutches of feudal lords.

He said that a few families had been ruling the 98 per cent lower and middle class people of the country since partition.

He said the country could not progress in the fields of economy, health and education only because of feudalism. The Indian leadership had, at the time of partition, a clear vision of their destiny and therefore feudalism was done away through land reforms.

“Consequently, there are no military coups and interventions in the civilian affairs in India,” he added.

According to him, most military officers belonged to middle class families but as they were elevated to the rank of brigadiers they started expressing feudal mindsets. “That is why the top military bureaucracy protect feudal lords.”

The MQM chief said that the country could not progress in social sector without the middle class leadership.

He claimed that former chief minister Ghulam Haider Wyne was assassinated because he belonged to lower middle class. He said the other ‘sin’ the late Wyne committed in the eyes of establishment was condemning atrocities against the MQM.

Members of the MQM’s provincial organizing committee were on the stage while men and women of all age groups attended the rally which was by no means less than the public meetings of other mainstream political parties vis-a-vis gathering of the people. MQM’s candidates in the Punjab were also present.

In response to newsmen’s questions, the MQM chief supported the demand for the creation of a province for Seraiki-speaking people. “It should be created if the Seraiki people want it”.

The MQM has fielded six candidates from national and five for provincial assembly seats in the Punjab.

The national assembly constituencies where MQM has candidates in southern Punjab are NA 149, 150 and 151 (Multan); NA 178 (Muzaffargarh), NA 196 (Rahim Yar Khan).

The provincial assembly constituencies are PP 195 (Multan), PP 210 (Lodhran), PP 290 and 293 (Rahim Yar Khan).