HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has contended that on the one side, there are areas that contribute 100pc taxes to Sindh and, on the other, there are those who spend this money; he wondered whether an elected house could be run with this equation.

He was speaking at a gathering held to remember those killed in the infamous Pucca Qila operation carried out on May 26-27, 1990.

The 24th anniversary of the tragic happening was observed at the Qila ground on Sunday night.

Mr Siddiqui remarked that living nations never forgot incidents like Pucca Qila. He said that the incident of Dec 27, 2007 was also not to be forgotten when people of Karachi and Hyderabad were targeted in the aftermath of [former prime minister and PPP chairperson] Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. He said properties of the victims were torched.

He recalled that Ms Bhutto could not have become prime minister in 1988 without MQM support. He said that the MQM had given a message from Hyderabad that it wanted to unite Sindh and it had sacrificed more than what was expected from it to ensure brotherhood and harmony in Sindh.

He said that despite facing excesses, MQM supported PPP to enable it to form government but the latter ordered Pucca Qila operation in May 1990. He condemned that houses of MQM supporters were besieged. He said that the Hyderabad carnage was staged because MQM had swept LG polls in 1987 and first general elections were due in the next year.

He regretted that hate was spread over the last 15 years in Sindh, and added that right from education to jobs, doors were closed to the Urdu-speaking people. He said that 97pc taxes were paid by Karachi and rest of 3pc by Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Sukkur. These were the cities which paid 100pc taxes while on the other hand, there were those who spend this money. “Houses are not run in this fashion,” he remarked. He said that Muttahida had already sacrificed much and now it was the turn of someone else to come forward and offer sacrifices.

The MQM-P leader said his party had been offering sacrifices for Pakistan’s stability, democracy, national language and justice. He added that MQM had also given its share of clearing misgivings and creating love. “if someone doesn’t need this love and harmony for the province, then MQM is not hard-pressed to do so”.

He said Urdu-speaking community’s people were maimed in Hyderabad and this incident was awaiting justice from the state and punishment for those responsible. He said that Hyderabad carnage (Sept 30,1988) was sill afresh in the minds of people and despite this incident, MQM won elections in 1988 to emerge as the largest urban party. He said PPP was elected from rural areas alone.

Mr Siddiqui alleged that it was the same PPP that had divided Pakistan in 1970s, and claimed that when people from East Pakistan migrated to West Pakistan, their businesses, universities and companies were nationalised and handed over to feudal lords.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2024