KARACHI: The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) in its recent move of taking a step ahead to strengthen its work on national issues has communicated with other mainstreams, as its party chief Altaf Hussain telephoned Pakistan Muslim League-Ziaul Haq (PML-Z) President Aijazul Haq and Awami Muslim League (AML) President Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to discuss the country’s political scenario, issues of national interest and problems faced by common people, the MQM press release said on Sunday.Altaf called Haque and discussed with him the overall political situation, challenges confronting the country, public issues and other important matters in detail. During their telephonic talk both the leaders agreed to formulate a solid line of action to fight internal and external threats to the country.
“Political leadership should formulate a solid line of action to fight internal and external threats to the country,” MQM chief and Haque agreed to this point while discussing prevalent political situation in the country over the telephone.They also proposed to call a roundtable conference of all political parties for serious deliberations in order to chalk out a strategy, the statement said.Altaf told Haque that the people of the country were facing hardships because of poverty, inflation and unemployment. He said the families displaced by floods were still forced to live in a deplorable condition, while the menace of corruption was sucking the country from within.Altaf also regretted that the national honour and self-esteem were pledged against for foreign aid and benediction. He said that the time had come for the patriotic political forces of the country to decide if they wanted to see the country beholden to foreign powers or wanted to see the country free from the menace of foreign aid.
Altaf emphasised that the patriotic political forces should exhibit unity in the interest of national security by setting aside their political differences.“We all must unite on the point of zero tolerance for corruption, loot and plunder and make an example of those who looted the national exchequer with both hands,” Altaf said.The MQM chief further said that his party had to suffer incarcerations, oppressions and injustices in the past as well but faced all the problems with courage and resolve and was ready to give any sacrifice for national honour, self-esteem and solution of basic problems of the people of Pakistan.Agreeing to the observations of MQM chief, Haque said that MQM had always championed the rights of the poor and middle-class and it was gaining rapid acceptance in public because of its principled stance on important public issues. He said that the stance of MQM on Kerry-Luger Bill, National Reconciliation Ordinance and Reformed General Sales Tax was being hailed in the country.
Haque also said that there was a wave of awakening in the people of the country as they were fully aware that two of the mainstream parties of the country were not sincere in solving their problems and hence they were looking for a third option. He warned that the people would reject these parties through their votes if they did change their policies.In another phone call made to Sheikh Rashid, the MQM chief discussed the country’s political situation, problems being faced by the people and other issues of mutual interest.Both Rashid and Altaf agreed on the point that the country was in the grip of crises and the life of ordinary people had become difficult and burdensome due to unbridled corruption and unchecked inflation.Both agreed that the progressive political force of the country should stand together to steer the country out of crises.Altaf told Rashid that the country’s economy was put at stake because of foreign funding and dictation in internal affairs of the country. He called it a time all political forces should wake up and take a stand for the national security and country’s integrity.Finally Rashid and Altaf jointly called political leadership to work together and put aside their political differences in the greater national interest. Both promised to maintain mutual contacts in future as well – Dailytimes
