HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain that May 11 general election is a contest between liberal and extremist forces and vowed that his party would not boycott the polls.

He was speaking to party workers at MQM’s main election campaign meeting on Wednesday night in Pucca Qilla ground.

Appreciating the resolve shown by MQM, Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the backdrop of recent terrorist attacks and election related violence that claimed lives of candidates and party workers, he said: “Extremists would never be allowed to enforce their brand of Shariah in the country.”

“Liberal forces will not let retrogressive forces impose their brand of Islam. Despite having lost party workers, MQM, ANP and PPP are in high spirits for May 11 polls,” he said.

He said that only supporters of extremists were running their election campaigns in Punjab, while in other three provinces parties and candidates were being targeted.

He added that liberal and tolerant forces were united on one side, while those who carry out bombings or support such activities were aligned on the other side.

The MQM chief said that gun totting and self proclaimed champions of Islam want to impose their own ideology. “If these forces think that MQM will boycott polls or will find excuses, then they are wrong,” he noted.

He stated that MQM would adopt every constitutional and legal path against these extremist forces and would not let them succeed in their agenda.

“Extremists and terrorists must remember that MQM supporters faced Hyderabad carnage (September 30, 1988 when around 300 innocent people were gunned down in a matter of few minutes), Oct 31, 1986 killings in Karachi and Hyderabad, Qasba Colony and Ali Garh carnages in Karachi yet people remain with the MQM.

“Despite facing serious atrocities, our workers keep MQM alive!” he said and added that sacrifices of people of Hyderabad cannot be erased from the pages of history.

He paid tributes to those supporters and workers of PPP, MQM and ANP who lost their lives in recent weeks and said that the parties remain unshaken.

He condemned the recent blast in Shikarpur at a meeting of National People’s Party (NPP) candidate Dr Ibrahim Jatoi and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Only supporters of extremists are running their campaign in Punjab. They are allowed to run election campaigns freely while situation is different in three other provinces. Can such polls be called free, fair and transparent? Where is the caretaker government and Fakhru Bhai led Election Commission of Pakistan?” he questioned.

He commended Tuesday’s statement of Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.

“Gen Kayani rightly stated that war against terror is Pakistan’s own war and no one should harbour doubts about May 11 polls. His statement has created new vigour among people,” he said.

The MQM chief said such a statement must silence those voices who say that ‘it’s not our war’.

He said that Kayani’s statement reflected sentiments of the entire nation and it has removed fears as to holding of elections to a great extent.

“This [war] directly concerns our own house and we have to tackle it,” he said, adding that MQM’s activists would remain at the beck and call of armed forces against those who perpetuate terror.

He pointed out that supporters of extremists are adamant that it is US’s war notwithstanding the fact that officers of law enforcing agencies, police personnel and people are being killed.

“It’s a war for survival of Pakistan. Our people are sacrificing their lives yet it is being dubbed ‘someone else’s war’,” Altaf Hussain said.

He said that neither Quaid-i-Azam nor Allama Iqbal were jihadis. MQM wants Jinnah’s Pakistan where Muslims and non-Muslims have equal rights as citizens of state and their places of worships are protected.

“We will never surrender before extremists or those who patronise them,” said Altaf.

He further urged people not to vote for those who support terrorists and instead choose liberal forces.

“People of these parties want to become ‘amirul momineen’. MQM, ANP and PPP would always challenge them,” he said.

He referred to excesses committed against MQM and its workers through operations and extra judicial killings.

“Those who were then subjecting us to persecution had thought that chapter of Altaf Hussain and MQM had been closed but then history witnessed that chapters of those very people had closed. Today MQM has fielded 671 candidates across Pakistan for May 11 polls,” he said.

He added that MQM never doled out tickets in lieu of donations or to leaders’ relatives. He recalled that while his own brother and nephew are among MQM martyrs they were never among ticket holders.

He vowed to eliminate feudalism and capitalism and bring middle class at the helm of affairs.

“People should trust and vote for MQM as it will change their destiny. MQM will introduce local government system and will establish general and women universities in Hyderabad. It was Mustafa Kamal who was counted among three top mayors of the world for his works,” he said.

“The distance between Urdu speakers and Sindhis is decreasing,” he commented.

SECURITY

Stringent security arrangements were made for MQM’s main election public meeting at Pucca Qilla ground Hyderabad on Tuesday evening in the wake of serious threats to MQM by banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan which had killed party’s candidate for PS-47 on April 11.

Participants of the public meeting, supporters and media personnel had to go through multiple rounds of security checks at around one dozen spots. Each and every individual was bodily searched at Kohinoor Chowk roundabout right up to the main entrance of the ground.

The area from Kohinoor Chowk, an otherwise busy spot of the city, remained closed with barbed wires.

Main Holmstead Hall Road also remained closed from two sides up to Pucca Qilla. Traffic was diverted from Guru Nagar Chowk and Kohinoor Chowk to other thoroughfares, leading serious traffic jams on both sides.

Parking of vehicles of media personnel were allowed inside Holmstead Hall. Only the vehicles that provide live coverage were allowed inside Pucca Qilla on the outer side of ground.

MQM leader Altaf Hussain introduced party candidates from Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Matiari and Tando Mohammad Khan one-by-one on the stage.