Haider Abbas Rizvi Addresses Annual MQM Convention in Houston
By Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
Houston, TX: Mr Haider Abbas Rizvi, Deputy Parliamentary leader of the MQM in the National Assembly, has observed that sometimes a decision is necessitated to minimize business losses and termed the current alliance with the government as 'a similar contract'.
"Sometimes you have to make decisions that you may not like in order to minimize your business losses. The current alliance with the government is a similar contract," Rizvi said while addressing the 16th Annual Convention of the MQM USA North America in Houston, Texas.
He went on to say that in the face of ground realities, sometimes one has to take the bitter pill.
The MQM leader said that currently we have Zardari, Shareefs, Khans and Sardars’ rule in the country and this is how democracy works.
He said in the 2008 election which was the most transparent election after the one in 1970, people voted for the People’s party, PMLN, PMLQ, ANP and MQM which has only 7% share in the total votes.
"None of the MQM workers voted for these families but we decided to stay in government according to our fair share” to ensure that the MQM did not drift into isolation. “We have seen the result of isolation in the form of 15,000 martyrs and more than 2,800 missing people and hundreds who have been forced to stay in exile."
Rizvi said MQM was doing politics of principles and opted for options that were in the best interest of the people.
He said, “You may not remember but I remind you that when we ended our alliance with PPP Kati Pahari was spitting fire and more than 100 of our workers were killed in just four days. Police did not reach there for four days.” On the fifth day, the Rangers moved in and the situation returned to normal.
"Do you think there are white flags fluttering all along Kati Pahari and it’s all peace there?" he asked, adding violence gets unleashed with an on-and-off switch there.
He said hidden foreign hands had a role in the happenings. Circumstances are such that we are forced to enter into an alliance with the PPP, he said. – The News
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