In a statement, Altaf said that he had promised his nation that he would never resign to the will of oppressors. He said that he would readily give his life for the protection of the rights of not only Muhajirs but also of every oppressed community throughout Pakistan and would not compromise on their interests.
He also said that he had been forced to take this decision as the Federal and Provincial governments, Army, Rangers and Police were using malicious laws to carry out an economic and physical genocide of Muhajirs. He also lamented that even 67 years after the creation of Pakistan, Muhajirs were not considered as equal citizens of Pakistan. He also said that countless Muhajirs were martyred over the years, which also included Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan yet not one killer of a Muhajir was apprehended.
He stated that among these martyrs were also his elder brother Nasir Hussain, 70 and nephew Arif Hussain, 28 who did not have any affiliation with MQM. He said that even their killers had not been arrested. Altaf Hussain also addressed the Pakistani media in general and anchorpersons, columnists and analysts in particular and asked them as to who was behind the genocide of Muhajirs in the 70s, 80s and 90s and why hadn’t they been arrested?
He also questioned as to how many operations were carried out against such nefarious people? Altaf also recounted how on 30th September 1988 armed militants from inside a vehicle had opened fire on innocent Muhajirs in Hyderabad and within minutes, countless Muhajirs had been slain. He said that neither the army, nor rangers or police had showed up to defend Muhajirs at that time.
He also stated that MQM had called on a neutral operation against terrorists and criminal elements within Karachi. Even during a Supreme Court proceeding it was announced that all political parties in Karachi had criminal elements within them. However, when the operation began, it only targeted MQM and no other political party.
Altaf Hussain further said that he had dedicated his life to furthering the interests of Muhajir people and to grant them an honourable status in society. However, despite his efforts, the physical and economic genocide of Muhajir community did not let up,. Hence, he was forced to take this decision of going on a hunger strike till death.
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