KARACHI, June 24: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has urged his followers to make the women’s convention at Nishtar Park on Saturday a grand success as it would reflect the party’s struggle for equal status for women.

Talking briefly by telephone to those who had gathered at Nishtar Park on Thursday night in connection with the arrangements for the convention, Mr Hussain expressed his confidence that it would be the biggest women convention ever held in the world.

The event would be crucial in removing acrimony and hatred, he added.

The MQM chief said that the Saturday convention would inject a new zeal in the movement and would be instrumental in giving a boost to the party’s struggle just like the August 8, 1986 public meeting at the same place had done in advancing the MQM ideology.

“The convention is important from the perspective of women’s rights in Pakistan and for liberating them from all prejudices and gender bias afflicting the society since ages,” he stressed.

Members of the MQM coordination committee, as well as other key leaders in the city, have been paying frequent visits to the venue of the convention to ensure best possible arrangements.

The leaders included Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui who, along with senior police officials, examined security arrangements at and around Nishtar Park on Thursday night.

FAROOQ SATTAR: Deputy convenor of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Dr Farooq Sattar on Friday claimed that women’s convention being organised by the MQM at Nishtar Park on Saturday would be a referendum against politics of extremism and terrorism and would give a boost to moderate and enlightened forces in the country.

He said this while speaking at a news conference at the venue of the convention where he briefed newsmen on Saturday’s event. He was accompanied by in charge MQM coordination committee Anwar Alam, Nasreen Jaleel, Waseem Aftab, Ismail Qureshi, Mumtaz Anwar and Begum Khurshid Afsar.

Farooq Sattar, who is also parliamentary leader of the MQM in the National Assembly, said all arrangements for the convention had been firmed up and said that delegations from the interior of Sindh, including those of the minority community, would converge Nishtar park. He also talked about special arrangement for transporting ladies to the venue.

Dr Farooq Sattar said the event would send very emphatic signal to those who adhered to politics of extremism and terrorism and usher in a new area of progress and prosperity based on mutual respect and tolerance.