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| India-Pakistan |
| Altaf urges Taliban to lay down arms, enter mainstream politics |
| 2013-04-22 |
| [Dawn] In what is being described as a major shift in policy towards the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain, Muttahida Qaumi Movement ...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has appealed to its leaders to lay down arms and enter mainstream politics. "You cannot make friends by using force... make them yours with the power of peace and love," he said in his speech from London to a big gathering held on Saturday at the Lal Qila ground to kick off the MQM's election campaign. The MQM has fielded 671 candidates -- 221 for the National Assembly and 450 for the four provincial assemblies. Mr Hussain used the occasion to convey to the Taliban that his party would have no objection if they stopped killing innocent people and instead joined mainstream politics. He, however, did not name the Taliban when he said the MQM, the PPP and the ANP were being targeted and conspiracies were being hatched to stop these 'enlightened and liberal' parties from taking part in the general elections. He said that while the three parties were being targeted, the other parties were being allowed to run their election campaigns. "The Chief Election Commissioner, the Supreme Court and the caretaker government should take notice of this discrimination and injustice." He said the MQM was not being allowed to run its election campaign freely because scores of its workers had been killed but not a single killer had been incarcerated Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! so far. |
| Posted by:Fred |