In a telephonic address to the MQM’s public meeting of people belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here at the Jinnah Ground, Altaf said all state institutions must act within their constitutional framework, and desist from overstepping their respective domains. He said that half of the country had already been lost, and the remaining must be secured by allowing the democratic process to continue. He said the interest of the country was in continuation of democracy.

Altaf asked the MQM workers to protect tea shops, hotels, and roadside shops of the Pashtun people in their areas. He asked the people of Karachi, particularly the Urdu-speaking people, to take care of the properties of Pashtuns.

Altaf said the participation of Pashtun, Hazarewal and Hindko people in Sunday’s public meeting at the Jinnah Ground had ended the lack of unity and solidarity among the oppressed people. Altaf asked the Urdu-speaking, Pashtun, Hazarewal and other nationalities to would give blood to protect each other, but would never taint their hands with the blood of each other.

Altaf said that the purpose of this public meeting was to create love among the oppressed and downtrodden people of Pakistan, who had been deprived of even their basic rights. He said that the feudal lords created acrimonies among people who intermarry. He asked the people to resolve that they would no longer fight with each other under any circumstances.

Altaf said that the Pashtuns came to Karachi because of lack of employment opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Had there been enough resources to earn a decent livelihood there, they would have never come to Karachi and other cities of Sindh in search of employments and business opportunities, he added. The MQM chief appealed to the federal government and the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to create employment opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by setting up industries. He said that unemployment should be eliminated.

Speaking about the tribal areas, the MQM chief said that the people living in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had given immense sacrifices for the country, but their areas were deprived of education facilities and there were meager employment options there. He said that the sense of deprivation of the people of Fata must be removed, and they should also be provided basic facilities of education and health.

Altaf directed MQM senators, MNAs and MPAs to solve the problems of the areas inhabited by Pashtuns and Hazarewal on an urgent basic.

Referring to the soaring energy crisis in the country, Altaf demanded that the government set aside all other issues and address the issues of shortage of gas and electricity that were aggravating with each passing day.

Referring to the election of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he said the government had accepted the decision of the Supreme Court regarding the disqualification of former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

Makhdoom Shahabuddin was nominated for the office of PM, but arrest warrants were issued against him and the government thus nominated Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in his place, he said, adding that conspiracies were continuing to derail the democratic process in the country.

The MQM chief said the general elections would be held after a few months, and hence all political parties must wait until elections for the sake of democracy and stability in the country. He warned that the country was encircled by innumerable dangers, and foreign powers were eyeing Pakistan. The time calls for unity and solidarity instead of divisions and animosities, he added. He appealed to the people to change the atmosphere in Karachi by protecting each other. He said that the Pashtuns should go to the Urdu-speaking areas freely and likewise, the Urdu-speaking people should be able to go to the Pashtun dominated areas without any sense of fear.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Convener of the Co-ordination Committee of the MQM, Dr Farooq Sattar, said that this public meeting would prove to be an important landmark for bringing peace and harmony in Karachi. He said that peace would bring progress and progress would bring prosperity in Pakistan.