KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq has confirmed his and Zulfiqar Mirza’s meeting with Altaf Hussain, but said he would not give details of their conversation with the MQM chief. Former home minister of Sindh Dr Zulfiqar Mirza while putting Holy Quran on his head during his explosive press conference in Karachi last month had said that he and Pir Mazharul Haq held a meeting with MQM chief Altaf Hussain in London, in which Altaf Hussain had told them that he had been living in London for a long time and had developed contacts with international forces, and that the US had decided to break up Pakistan and his party would support it.
Talking to the media at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, where he went along with Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and other Sindh cabinet ministers to pay homage to the Founder of the Nation on his 63rd death anniversary.Pir Mazhar said he and Zulfiqar Mirza had called on the MQM leader Altaf Hussain in London at the direction of President Asif Ali Zardari to improve the relations between the MQM and the PPP. The PPP leader said it would be unethical to public the details of the ‘informal meeting’.Pir further said that he had also met Altaf in 1989, and “today (Sunday) I called on Sindh governor for the purpose of improving the MQM-PPP relations”.
He pointed out that the people in Sindh hold a belief that only such a person can swore on the Holy Quran who believes that his or her words would not be taken as true. To this, a journalist asked as to whether he was saying that Zulfiqar Mirza was a liar; Pir responded by saying that he would not call Mirza a liar. Pir said that certain powers, internal or external, are out to destabilise Pakistan and “we need to get united against these elements”.On the other hand, in a media talk in Badin, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza thanked Pir Mazharul Haq for confirming their meeting with Altaf Hussain. But he said that the Senior Sindh minister has spoken half truth.
Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad told the media at Mazar-i-Qaid that continued heavy rains have brought destruction beyond their imagination and the government alone cannot handle the magnitude of the destruction. He opined that the rains have brought more destruction than the super floods of year 2010. The governor said that the government was utilising its resources for relief, rescue and rehabilitation of the affected people and it has also sought help from the international donors. He urged the philanthropists to come forward and help their brethren in their hour of need. – Nation
