KARACHI:
Revolution in Pakistan like in the Middle East is inevitable and is approaching fast, but the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will not allow religious maniacs to take over and impose tyrannical rule, said MQM chief Altaf Hussain on Friday.
He was addressing a large gathering organised by the Defence and Clifton Residents Committee (DCRC) and the Council of Professionals (COP) of the MQM at the DCRC lawn near Two Swords in Clifton.
Hussain urged religious scholars belonging to all schools of thoughts to sit together to review Clause 295 C of the Blasphemy Act and judge it on the touchstone of the Holy Quran and the authentic sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), he said.
He criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for not taking notice of those who had showered rose petals on the assassin of Salmaan Taseer. He said that the PPP was considered a liberal political party, but its silence on the blasphemy issue showed that there was only one liberal party in Pakistan, the MQM.
Hussain proposed two resolutions to the audience, which were passed unanimously by a show of hands. The first resolution demanded that the speech that Muhammad Ali Jinnah delivered to the Constitutional Assembly on August 11, 1947, be made part of the syllabus for all students, from class one to PhD level. He said that the speech should serve as a second national anthem that people learn by heart.
The second resolution said there should be no differentiating minorities from the majority in Pakistan. Hussain said anyone who had a Pakistani passport or ID card should be regarded as a Pakistani only.
He urged the youths and students of Defence and Clifton to show their solidarity with the MQM at their schools, colleges and universities. He said that he wanted a very strong MQM office in DHA and Clifton.
Sindh minister Faisal Sabzwari, former city nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, and the heads of the DCRC and COP also addressed the audience.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2011.
Blasphemy laws: