Protesters at the UN call Pakistan “epicenter and exporter of terrorism in the region

I.S. Saluja

NEW YORK CITY, NY (TIP): On September 21, around 50 MQM members gathered in front of the UN to protest the genocide of Mohajirs by Pakistan Army. The MQM chose to protest during the time when the Pakistan PM was addressing the UNGA.

Carrying placards, big and small, they shouted slogans “Mohajirs demand right of self-determination”; “Pakistan Army is killing Mohajirs”; “Stop genocide of Mohajirs”.

Anjum Arif of New York who is a Member of MQM Central Organizing Committee and Rukunuddin Taj, a Member of Central Co-ordination Committee demanded that United Nations should intervene and stop genocide of Mohajirs and suppression of minorities.

The speakers spoke at length about their grievances and demands.

Calling Pakistan as the “epicenter of Terrorism” the speakers said that Pakistan had provided sanctuary to terrorist outfits and that ISI was supporting extremism and terrorism in the region. They pledged to lend their full support to the US, the UN and the world in eliminating terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan.

One of their demands was the right to self-determination. They demanded that the United Nations take note of the genocide of Mohajirs in Pakistan and facilitate the process of self-determination.

They said the census conducted earlier this year in Karachi and urban areas of Sind was rigged. They demanded a fresh census under the supervision of the UN.

They demanded that the UN intervene to stop the genocide of Mohajirs in Sind.   They alleged Pakistan army had killed 22000 Mohajirs since 1992 and 170 persons were still missing. There are 70 million Mohajirs in Pakistan who all live in fear of being eliminated by Pakistan army.

Another allegation of the speakers was that there was a blanket media ban on their leader Altaf Hussain who was living in self-exile in Britain. They demanded that the illegal and undemocratic ban be lifted.

They announced that a bigger rally will be held on Saturday, September 23 at the same venue to make their grievance and demands once again. They said more MQM leaders will be coming to address the protesters

Mohajirs are Moslems who migrated from India at the time of partition of India in 1947. The majority settled in the port city of Karachi and urban areas of Sind province of Pakistan.

They follow Islam and speak Urdu. They are secular, liberal and progressive. Some of the Mohajirs have been quite famous in various fields. The first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan was a Mohajir. So was a former Army General and President Parvez Musharraf. There have been many artists, scholars, intellectuals, scientists whose contribution has been immense.

“Mohajirs look to the US, the United Nations and justice and peace-loving nations of the world to deliver them from Pakistan”, said a spokesman of MQM.