HYDERABAD: Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) chairman Dr Qadir Magsi, addressing participants in the party`s 27th founding day programme in Qasimabad late on Wednesday evening, claimed that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was still united under the leadership of Altaf Hussain and striving for the establishment of a `Mohajirdesh` within Sindh.

`A Sindhi-speaking person can well become the mayor of Hyderabad if transparent local government election is held as Sindhis live here in a large number,` he told his supporters.

Dispelling the impression that the party was a productof `agencies`, he said it had a long history of struggle that was started in 1981, when he had joined the Jeay Sindh Students Federation.

He reminded the audience that he had dissociated himself from [Jeay Sindh Tehreek founder] G.M. Syed though he still held him in high esteem. He pointed out that he had never been close to the Syed.

Dr Magsi said that when he did not get [satisfactory] answers to his questions while being in the Syed`s party, he established a study circle and the progressive wing [Taraqqi-pasand].

`It was the time when the MQM started `terrorism`, he said. He rejected the claim that there was a `Sindhi-Mohajir conflict` and insisted that `it was pure MQM terrorism` patronised by [former military ruler Generall Ziaul Haq.He said he parted ways with G.M. Syed when he [Syed] described Jam Sadiq as continuity of Makhdoom Bilawal.

`Syed survived in nationalist politics because he was the son of a Jagirdar; but Hyder Bux Jatoi, Rasool Bux Palijo and Jam Saqi did not get acceptability for being sons of haris,` he said.

Dr Magsi said the STP was created to resist theMQM `terrorism` and it went on to become a progressive, secular, revolutionary and people-friendly party.

`The MQM was a product of Gen Zia and tasked with cleansing cities of this province of Sindhis,` he claimed.

He accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of expelling flood-hit Sindhi families from Karachi to appease the MQM andAwami National Party (ANP). Had the PPP not done this, Karachi would have a considerably big population of Sindhis today, he added.

Dr Magsi also claimed that [Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf leader] Imran Khan could not become even a councillor but anyone could become a big leader with the blessings of Rawalpindi.

Khan does not have anypolitical ideology and that`s why PTI was welcoming any `political orphan` like the MQM did. He described Khan as proponent of status quo.

The STP urged Sindhis not to go for the PTI, PPP or the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as none of them were sincere to the people of Sindh who comprised various ethnic and lingual entities.