HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Altaf Hussain has said that the MQM has proved itself resilient as neither the 1992 operation nor any raids or more operations have been able to subdue the movement.

He said in a telephonic address to a public meeting at the police ground in Tandojam on Monday that Muttahida had served people without discrimination and that was the reason it had now representation across the country. The gathering was held in connection with local government elections on Dec 30.

A day earlier on Sunday, the party`s senior deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar said while talking to journalists and speaking at a party workers` meetings ahead in Tando Allahyar that the Pakistan Peoples Party should not have raised theissue of Rangers` powers at this point. Any confrontation between the federal and Sindh governments on the issue could harm the democratic system, he said.

He said that the MQM would approach the judiciary if powers were not transferred to the local governments. He did not rule out the possibility of launching a protest drive to seek due powers for the local governments.

He said the MQM`s reservations and complaints over Rangers actions were of constitutional and legal nature, involving human rights issues. He said that to remain neutral the PPP should support MQM leader Altaf Hussain. He said the PPP agitation was adversely impacting the Karachi operation and it was no time to initiate a debate on Rangers` powers.

He deplored that the PPP neither eliminated corruption nor did it take any action against corrupts elements.He stated that there was great enthusiasm among the people for the Dec 30 elections in Tando Allahyar after new delimitations, and predicted encouraging results for the MQM as that of Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas. He lambasted the government for the `legally defective delimitations` in Tando Allahyar `meant to deny chairmanship of the municipal committee to the MQM`. But, he said, that conspiracy would be foiled and the MQM would emerge victorious there too.

He observed that despite limited powers the MQM mayors would do their best to serve the people. He urged political parties to support the MQM in that regard so that the common man got powers.

He promised that the MQM would build colleges and a university in Tando Allahyar. He said local government representatives did not have the powers they had exercised in Gen Musharraf`s localgovernment system.

He vowed to raise voice at all forums to make the local government system effective. He said Pakistan`s stability was linked to Sindh`s stability. He said that provinces were hit by mismanagements and dismal performances. He added that new provinces could be created for which a debate must begin and policymaking institutions must ponder over it.

He claimed that with its own Sindh chief minister, the MQM would bring about change in just six months. He said he favoured alliances of opposition parties on an issue-to-issue basis, but said it was premature to say the MQM could be part of any such alliance.

He said if powers were not given to the local bodies, the MQM would move court in that regard, but even then if the issue was not resolved, it would launch a protest over the issue.