KARACHI: Less than three weeks after it released a ‘white paper’ against the bad governance of the Pakistan Peoples Party in Sindh, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan staged a big rally in the city on Sunday, demanding the rulers to give Karachi its due rights.

A large number of people participated in the Huqooq (rights) rally, which began from Liaquatabad No 10 and culminated at the Quaid’s mausoleum, where it turned into a public meeting which was addressed by the party’s central leadership.

Also on Sunday, graffiti against MQM-P chief Dr Farooq Sattar, senior leader Aamir Khan and some others emerged in different parts of the city.

And when the rally began, workers of the MQM-London joined it at certain spots and shouted slogans in favour of MQM founder Altaf Hussain. However, no untoward incident took place.

Carrying the national flag and tri-coloured MQM flags, the participants of the rally reached the Mazar-i-Quaid in buses, cars, motorcycles, etc.

Speaking on the occasion, MQM-P head Dr Sattar said that the rally “revived the MQM of 1986” — a reference to the first show of strength of the MQM in historic Nishtar Park on Aug 8, 1986.

He said the workers of the MQM had proved it the most organised party in Sindh which could not be divided.

He said that no-one was forced to come to the rally. “We have shunned politics of violence. We will make Karachi a national city where people of all ethnic origins will live in complete harmony.”

Dr Sattar said that his party would never “bargain over the blood of the martyrs”.

He said that the MQM-P would have been given back its Nine Zero headquarters seven months ago had it “bargained over the blood of the martyrs”.

Responding to the criticism by MQM-London that he forgot the custodial death of his own coordinator Aftab Ahmed who died in Rangers’ custody last year, he said: “Let me assure the heirs of Aftab shaheed that we can give up politics but will never leave our martyrs.”

He said that very soon all “missing” workers would be recovered and those languishing in prisons would be released.

He said that the MQM had already launched its struggle for the rights of the urban areas of Sindh and soon it would raise voice for the rural areas.

MQM leader Aamir Khan warned that his party would launch a movement for a new province in Sindh if the rulers did not get the people their due rights.

He thanked the Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Pak Sarzameen Party and MQM-Haqiqi for extending support to the MQM rally.

MQM leader Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui lashed out at the PPP and said that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had said that democracy was the best revenge. He said her husband, Asif Zardari, took revenge from the people and his own party.

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar said that the people of Karachi had rejected all other options by participating in the MQM’s rally.

He said that his party had learned a lesson from its past mistakes. He said whole Sindh was protesting against the bad governance of the PPP.

Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khwaja Izharul Hasan said the PPP also took out a rally in Karachi against corruption. He said it was unfortunate that “the corrupt are talking against corruption”.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2017