Parliament holds no significance in Pakistan, military is sole authority: MQM leader Altaf Hussain

He emphasised that the parliament holds no status in Pakistan, and the real power resides with the military. People are constrained by their shame. It is both permissible and obligatory to wage Jihad against the polytheistic forces that are unjustly oppressing people.

He made these remarks while addressing his 71st birthday gathering in London. The event was held in a local hall in Burnt Oak, North London, and was attended by hundreds of people from London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford, Leicester, Brighton, and other cities.

He asserted that denying the existence of ethnic backgrounds such as Punjabi, Pakhtun, Baloch, Sindhi, Seraiki, or Muhajir in Pakistan is a denial of reality.

"This identity is a natural fact, not a human construct, and denying it is tantamount to denying the power of God. Nations exist for the sake of identity, but this purpose should never be to foster hatred, oppression, or inflict pain on others based on identity," he said.

Altaf Hussain also attacked those who have labelled him as a "traitor."

"The entire Punjab branded Altaf Hussain as a traitor and an Indian agent. They similarly labelled Sai GM Syed, Bacha Khan, Sheikh Mujib Ur Rahman, and Baloch resistors as traitors. When they accused Imran Khan of being a traitor and a Jewish agent, people echoed these sentiments," he said.

"However, the populace of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) refused to accept Imran Khan as a traitor and Jewish agent because it was ingrained in their minds that Punjabis and Pathans could not be traitors," he added.

Hussain stated that the composition of the army is predominantly 80 per cent Punjabis and 20 per cent Pashtuns. He described the Pakistan Muslim League (N) as the progenitor of giants and labelled Zardari as a malady afflicting the entire nation.

He emphasised that one should never condone oppression based on identity, nor should one support an oppressor simply because they share the same identity.

Imran Khan's arrest saw the charges initially attributed to him being transferred to the earlier, he claimed.

He asserted that his only fault was his candid declaration that the archaic feudal system is the greatest affliction of the country.

Hussain remarked that Pakistan has endured "numerous trials."

"The imperative of the moment is to unite while preserving our identities and to champion the cause of Jihad against the forces that have been plundering the nation for 77 years. The country must be liberated from their grasp, and the deprived and oppressed must be granted their rights. To achieve this, we must eschew hatred based on identity and instead denounce oppression on principled grounds, supporting one another," he said.

Hussain noted that although Imran Khan made vehement statements against him, even suggesting his assassination via drone, when Imran Khan was arrested and his party members were mistreated, Altaf Hussain set aside his opposition.

"Similarly, despite Nawaz Sharif's operations against us, when he and his daughter were detained, he raised his voice in their defence," he said.

He asserted that wherever there is oppression, the voice of Altaf Hussain will be heard, irrespective of whether the oppressor is an adversary. He added that for the past two years, he has been vocal in his support of Imran Khan.

The MQM leader further asserted that the military establishment should not question the reasons behind the armed resistance in Balochistan today. Historically, Balochistan was an independent state; in 1947, the state of Kalat had its own parliament and embassy as a sovereign entity, he said.

The military forcibly occupied it, and the people of Balochistan are resisting this occupation. He emphasised that where there is an illegal occupation, the deprived and oppressed are imprisoned, and oppression becomes a conspiracy, it is both permissible and obligatory for those facing oppression to combat their oppressors.

He stated that the "parliament in Pakistan is not autonomous, the judiciary lacks independence, and the rule of law is not observed." The parliament holds no status in Pakistan, and the actual power resides with the military. He predicted that the army could not keep Imran Khan imprisoned for long and that he would be released soon.

He congratulated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers for organising a successful rally in Lahore.

He further remarked that under the new strategy, the military is promoting newly formed political parties, but the people are "well aware of these tactics" and will never trust parties created by the establishment. He expressed gratitude to the members of PTI and other parties for their participation in the gathering and welcomed senior MQM colleagues from America.

Hussain appealed to the attendees, claiming that MQM is facing a financial crisis and requesting their support.

He urged the audience to pray for the elevation of the martyrs, the recovery of missing comrades, and the release of all captives, including Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned on false charges for years.

The MQM leader also congratulated the central IT team of MQM for broadcasting the live coverage of the meeting worldwide and appreciated the efforts of the UK chapter MQM Central Organising Committee and all officials and workers for organising an excellent gathering. (ANI)