by Iqbal Tareen, Washington

Let me join Khalid Hashmani in applauding Sindh Qomi Mahaz (JSQM) for its gallant and timely historic protest. I must also commend the conference called by AT, which raised very important issues. I was very happy to see the the religious right totally absent from this event. Here is a very sincere and candid advice for Sindh Qomi Mahaz (JSMQ) and others. MQM is trying to shift a Muhajir-Pashtoon wedge to Sindhis. It is incumbent upon JSQM and other Sindh Rights movements in Sindh and overseas to make a clear distinction that Sindh was never and can never be against the nation of Ghafar Khan who had eternal ties with Sindh and her national leaders. Sindhis are all for the right of self-governance of Pakhtoonkhwa. We just don’t want our nation to be subjected to ethnic re-engineering and reduced to insignificant minority. JSQM should show its guts to expose an ethnic organization of Karachi and its betrayal in painting Sindhis as Pashtoon haters.

THIS IS VERY CRITICAL FOR SINDHIS GOING FORWARD… We are against Taliban not Pashtoons. Taliban come in all races, nationalities, sizes, and ethnicities. Many of today’s Taliban are successors of Jamaat’s para-militay forces Al-Badr and Al-Shams who were forward blocks of the West Pakistan army in East Pakistan.

Remember my friends, Pashtoons and other ethnic minorities in Karachi are vital deterrent to MQM’s runaway absolute power. Do not lose this goodwill. Make it clear we are not against them and other ethnic groups but against agencies’ cheap tactics to set Sindhis and Pashtoons against each other by shoving mass migration into our homeland.

May 27, 2009