KARACHI, July 8: Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Dr Farooq Sattar has stressed the need for evolving a zakat collection system to make the country a true welfare state.

He was speaking at a workers’ convention of the party at the Lal Qila Ground in Azizabad on Sunday. The convention was held in connection with the collection of zakat and fitra during the upcoming month of Ramazan. A large number of party workers, including women, attended the convention.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain did not make a telephonic address from London owing to his pressing engagements.

Dr Sattar, who also holds the portfolio of federal overseas ministry and is a deputy convener of the MQM coordination committee, said that Pakistan would become a truly democratic and civilised country if politics and welfare works were done side by side.

He said that the party chief would always lay special emphasis on welfare works along with political activities.

Dr Sattar said that the people living below the poverty line should also be remembered in Ramazan, besides doing other acts of piety.

He said that serving the humanity was the best form of worship.

He said that the MQM had created a model for collection of zakat and fitra towards its objective of making Pakistan a welfare state.

Speaking on the occasion, MQM leader Wasim Aftab said that the MQM was the biggest threat to the decaying feudal system in the country and it was because of this reason that the resources of the state that should have been used for public welfare were used against the MQM for its act of giving a message of awakening to the people.

Senator Syed Mustafa Kamal, who is the chief trustee of the MQM Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation, also spoke.