HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has again said that the next chief minister of Sindh would be from his party.

Addressing a general workers’ meeting at MQM’s zonal office here late on Monday evening, he congratulated the party’s candidates and said people, including Sindhis, Baloch, Pakhtuns and Punjabis would vote for them, especially in Sindh.

Mr Hussain said that smokers and those who were addicted to ‘paan’ or ‘gutka’ would not be given MQM tickets in the next general elections and advised such people to give up the habit immediately.

He reminded people that it was the Muttahida which had first raised voice against feudal and capitalist systems and sent people belonging to poor families to parliament.

“I am happy that today all political parties are forced to say that the MQM represents people from poor and middle class. The MQM is not a party of the rich or capitalists,” he said. He said that 99 per cent of MQM candidates in the coming elections were poor and educated.

He said if the MQM came to power it would enforce the local government system which worked for people’s wellbeing. The local government improved sanitary system and addressed other problems of people, he added.

The MQM chief said his party would not tolerate corruption. The corrupt will be behind bars even if he or she belonged to the Muttahida.

Nepotism and favouritism will be eliminated and all decisions will be taken on merit. He said the job of parliament was to legislate and the duty of courts was to implement the law.

Nobody, whether a soldier or a civilian, should take the law into his own hands.

Mr Hussain said he always stood by the truth and opposed retired General Pervez Musharraf and President Asif Ali Zardari whenever their governments did something wrong.

He said Gen Musharraf was a dictator and he was accused of violating the constitution. “He is a citizen of Pakistan. He came to Pakistan, got protective bail, surrendered before courts and today he is in jail.”

He appealed to the media and masses to be careful while criticising him. Some leaders are using objectionable language against him which may be used also against them in the future.“I appeal to the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to give Gen Musharraf a chance to defend allegations levelled against him. It is the duty of the apex court, the ECP and political parties to fulfil their constitutional responsibility and allow Gen Musharraf to defend himself.”

The MQM chief said justice should be enforced in the country. “I apologise to the apex court in advance if I have said something inadvertently.”