KARACHI, March 17: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has said that if fair and transparent elections are held and the MQM Coordination Committee decides to participate in them, the Muttahida would emerge as a party of the oppressed and deprived people of the country.

Speaking at a ceremony held on Muttahida’s 18th foundation day in London at the international secretariat of the party on Saturday, Altaf Hussain said the MQM was the only party in Pakistan whose base was among the poor and middle classes. He said the other parties belonged to the feudal class. The MQM had emerged as the third largest party in the country and the second in Sindh following mandate given by people to it in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1997 elections, he said.

He said the MQM was striving for the rights not only of Mohajirs but of all deprived and oppressed nationalities, including Sindhis, Baloch, Punjabis, and Seraikis.

He said the MQM was representative of urban Sindh but if the coordination committee decided to participate in the coming elections it would field its candidates in rural areas of Sindh as well. He said that if the elections were not rigged, the Muttahida would emerge as the party of the oppressed people of entire Sindh and the country.

Mr Hussain said that the land of Shah Latif had provided shelter to Mohajirs and they had pledged in return to rid Sindh of the slavery of Punjab’s establishment.

He paid tributes to all those who laid down their lives for the movement’s cause.