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Published 06 Jul, 2006 12:00am

Altaf rejects charter of democracy

ISLAMABAD, July 5: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Wednesday rejected the charter of democracy and accused the two major political parties, which took the initiative, of weakening the country and looting the exchequer while they were in power.

In a telephonic address from London on the launching of a book The devastation caused by earthquake and services of MQM by Saleem Shahzad, he said that both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, who were talking of uniting under the charter of democracy, belonged to the two per cent power mafia that had been exploiting the 98 per cent oppressed people since long.

He asked the people not to be hoodwinked by the two parties again and urged them to strengthen his hands for the sake of the country’s security and integrity.

“Our mission is to liberate these 98 per cent people from the clutches of the two per cent privileged class,” he said, adding that a strenuous effort, a cohesive struggle and lots of sacrifices were required to achieve this objective. He asked people to brace for the challenge ahead.

He expressed optimism to bring about a revolution with people’s support and rid the country of anti-Pakistan elements and feudal system.

Mr Hussain said that the elements who used to call him a cowardly person for leaving Pakistan to live in exile were now themselves living in exile. However, he alleged, the difference was that those elements had gone into exile after minting huge sums by plundering the exchequer.

He said the MQM had been accused in the past of opposing the Kashmir cause and Kashmiri people. However, he pointed out, MQM was the first political party to have launched relief activities and established relief camps in the quake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP.

According to the book, the MQM collected and spent over Rs2.41 billion on relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation activities and its relief camps were still operating in the quake zones.

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