HYDERABAD, Nov 14: Chairman Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Bashir Khan Qureshi, has expressed grave concern over the influx of Afghan refugees inside Pakistan and added that they would ultimately enter Sindh province and usurp the job opportunities.
Talking to newsmen here in the sessions court where he was produced for the hearing of his case on Wednesday, he said that it were the same Afghan refugees who had spread the Kalashinkov and heroin culture in the country in general and Sindh in particular.
He apprehended that under a planned conspiracy the Afghan refugees would be brought again in Sindh in order to convert Sindhis into a minority.
He said that the fleeing Afghan people would usurp all opportunities of employments as well as resources in the province and Sindhis would be rendered jobless. He apprehended that these people would not confine themselves to the camps.
Mr Qureshi severely criticised those religious leaders who were promoting terrorism and fundamentalism in the name of jihad. He also accused ISI and other agencies of backing fundamentalists in the country.
He said that when strike calls were given by the religious parties the same Afghanis forced the closure of shops. He, however, condemned terrorism in all its manifestation saying that the acts of terrorism were condemnable whether perpetrated by a state or an individual anywhere in the world. To a question about the performance of Ponam he said that Mahmood Khan Achakzai never let other leaders in the party to crystalize their views on the issue of Afghanistan saying that Afghanis were Muslims and would return to their homeland soon.
Responding to another question, he said that Muttaheda Qaumi Movement was coming closer to JSQM on issues confronted by the people of Sindh. He said that geographical changes could not be ruled out in Asia and the rulers were themselves providing such opportunities. He added that thousands of people from Pakistan had crossed over to Afghanistan to join jihad but the government had miserably failed to prevent them.
He contended that whenever JSQM launched a campaign in support of the rights of workers and against water shortage it was brutally suppressed.
He quoted his cases in this regard saying that when he staged protest demonstrations for the rights of dismissed workers of Shah Murad Sugar Mills last year in November and staged sit-ins against water shortage he was booked in treason cases. He said that Altaf Hussain would step on the soil of an independent Sindh because the Punjab imperialist forces would not let him come to Pakistan and he would be killed like Mir Murtaza Bhutto. The JSQM chief condemned the gruesome murder of MQM activist, Naeem Ahmed. Qureshi was facing trial in a least nine cases of arson, violence, treason and police encounter in various courts.
Such cases were pending against him in STA, ATA and sessions courts.