KARACHI, Jan 5: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement organized Yaum-i-Azm on Saturday night and as part of the programme arranged a music show in Jinnah Ground at Azizabad near the party headquarters, where many artistes and singers performed.

Besides the Sindh governor and MQM leaders, a large number of people were present at the Yaum-i-Azm and the musical show.

The MQM chief, Altaf Husain, spoke to the Yaum-i-Azm gathering over telephone from London. He also addressed the artistes and singers and exchanged with them New Year greetings and greetings on the appointment of a governor from the oppressed class.

Mr Husain paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the oppressed, and asked the gathering to observe a one-minute silence in memory of the martyrs. As he counted one, two, three, the gathering kept silent for more than one minute, and at the end of which there was a thunderous clapping.

He asked musicians to play a melody to extol the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs.

He also paid tribute to noted singer Mehdi Hasan and asked the gathering to pray for his early recovery.

He asked the elected representatives of the party and the Sindh governor to serve the people without any discrimination and to solve the problems of all the people.

Mr Husain asked the Muttahida ministers not only to focus their efforts on solving the problems of urban areas, but they should also visit every corner of Sindh and meet the people of the land of Shah Latif for the solution of their problems. He asked the ministers to serve the nation as much as they could.

He urged the ministers to pay attention to bringing about improvement in law and order in the province, which would lead to investment, industrialization and creation of job opportunities which would remove the sense of deprivation in the people.

“The people are facing a number of problems. We have to solve their problems. We have to provide them jobs. We have to establish centres of education and health care and carry out development works,” Mr Husain said and asked the people to cooperate with the government in this respect.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad said he would try to come up to the expectations of the people of the province and Altaf Husain.

Referring to “no-go areas,” he said there would be no more any “no-go areas” in the megacity, and those responsible for the creation of such a thing would be dealt with according to law. However, their families would be provided full protection.

There would be the rule of law in Sindh, he declared.

“Because of the peaceful political struggle of the Haq Parast people this day of blessing has come when a person belonging to a middle-class family has been made governor,” Dr Ibad said.

“Allah has bestowed this honour on me because of the peaceful political struggle of the oppressed, their prayers and sacrifices,” he said, adding this position demanded of him to serve the people of Sindh with complete impartiality.

He said after assuming the governor’s office, he had resigned from the party’s membership so that he could carry out his duty without any discrimination.

“We should treat the past as a foreign country, as we have to march forward and restore mutual confidence and make Sindh prosperous. We have to revive the glory and lights of Karachi. We would certainly succeed in it,” he emphasized.

“Let me serve you, and the day will certainly come when we will celebrate a much bigger Yaum-i-Azam at this very place,” Governor Ibad said.

Beside the deputy conveners of the MQM coordination committee and present and former MNAs and MPAs of the party, a large number of people were present at the Yaum-i-Azm and the music show. Singers and artistes who performed at the music show were, among others, Omar Sharif, Moin Akhtar, Arshad Mehmood, Abrarul Haq, Shazia Khushk, Fariha Pervez, Ali Haider, Khalid Omar, Fakhr-i-Alam, Hanif Raja, Jan Rambo, Shahzad Roy, and film stars Laila and Saud.