News
Monday, February 20, 2012
Wrong policies behind Balochistan woes, says Altaf* MQM chief says resolving Baloch issues must to keep Balochistan intact
* Stresses need for empowering women
By Masroor Afzal Pasha
KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said on Sunday wrong policies of the establishment on Balochistan were dragging the province to the verge of ‘independence’.
The explosive situation in Balochistan due to policies of the establishment has brought the largest province of Pakistan to the brink of separation from the country, he told a huge public meeting of women, titled ‘Empowered Women, Strong Pakistan’, at the Bagh-e-Quaid-i-Azam.
Altaf said that he had been “crying to resolve Balochistan problems” but no one paid attention. The situation has worsened to such an extent that resolutions are being passed in parliaments of other countries for “right to self-determination for the Baloch people, the MQM chief said.
He warned that it was already late and futuristic steps would have to be taken if Balochistan was to be kept with Pakistan. “All legitimate rights of Baloch people should be granted without further delay,” he said, adding, “If no solution was found then we may lose Balochistan.”
Altaf said Pakistan could not become strong unless women were empowered. He said the Sunday’s gathering was a clear message for everyone that “we are united and will remain united under the flag of MQM”.
“A new chapter has been written in the political history of the country in the shadow of the tomb of the Quaid-i-Azam,” Altaf said. He said other political parties had been making tall claims about holding large public meetings at the Bagh-i-Quaid-i-Azam, but the MQM had demonstrated that even women workers of the MQM were enough to meet the challenge of the opponents.
He claimed the public meeting of the women was the “largest not only in Pakistan and South Asia, but also across the world”.
“These braved women had held funerals of their loved ones, suffered hardships and went to jails but did not swerve from their path and they remained steadfast without losing hope.”
Commenting on protests by women in Islamabad for the recovery of their loved ones, Altaf said that more than 15,000 MQM workers were put to death during the ruthless operation against MQM, adding that 28 workers were still missing. He said he could understand the pains of those who have lost their loved ones. He said that his elder brother and nephew were also killed in a brutal manner.
The MQM chief said that it was only the MQM that had been raising voice for gross injustices committed against women in the country. “Whether it was Shaista Almani, Dr Shazia or Dr Aafia Siddiqui, the MQM had always raised its voice for them in a forceful manner.” He demanded that the United States release Dr Aafia Siddiqui on humanitarian grounds.
Altaf said enemies of the MQM had not only committed injustices against the party, they also spread vicious propaganda against it. It was given out that the MQM was the enemy of people whereas the MQM, in reality, is only the enemy of the oppressive feudal system in the country, he said. He said the world had entered the 21st century and women were working shoulder-to-shoulder with men in other parts of the world. The situation is completely different in Pakistan where women were discriminated against in every sphere of life and forced to live a life of subjugation, he added.
He regretted that there were places in Pakistan where women did not have even their basic human rights, and they were forced to live in subhuman conditions. Condition of women in the rural areas is particularly deplorable where they are treated like animals, he said, adding that there were areas in Pakistan where women did not have the right to even vote or contest elections.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk