Indian HR activist meets MQM leaders Extremism termed a threat to democracy | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Indian HR activist meets MQM leaders Extremism termed a threat to democracy

KARACHI: All India Secular Forum general secretary and renowned human rights (HR) activist, Prof Ram Puniyani, has said that a strong and democratic Pakistan will be the biggest hurdle in the way of regional extremism.

He expressed these views while talking to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Coordination Committee members, here at the MQM headquarters on Saturday.

All India Secular Forum delegation, which was on a visit to Karachi, called on MQM co-ordination committee deputy convener Senator Nasrin Jalil, members Kanwar Khalid Yunus and Wasay Jalil to share their views.

Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research Executive Director Karamat Ali, Secretary Managing Board BM Kutti, Pakistan-India Forum president Iqbal Butt and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Cocoordinator Shamsuddin also accompanied the delegation.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Puniyani said that the feudal lords had significant influence in the subcontinent, and the feudal culture and mentality was still prevalent in Pakistan as well. He said that extremism was a threat to democracy.

Puniyani said that the feudal culture had changed in India but there were still some states where feudalism had some influence. He said that feudalism had been eliminated from most of the states in India, but it would take considerable time before it was eliminated from Pakistan.

Nasreen apprised the members of the delegation that the MQM was striving to eliminate feudalism from Pakistan by acting on the philosophy of realism put forward by the MQM.

She said that Karachi contributed nearly 70 percent revenue in the national exchequer, but the law and order situation in the city was being persistently disturbed.

She said that conspiracies had always been hatched to curb the popularity of the MQM but its public appeal was constantly increasing, and now its message was being echoed across the length and breadth of the country.

Jalil further said that the MQM had always demonstrated its capacity to deliver whenever it got the opportunity. Citing the example of the former mayor of Karachi Mustafa Kamal, he said that Karachi was brought at par with the developed cities of the world by tireless efforts during 2005 to 2008.

Provincial minister Khalid Bin Wilayat, MPAs Manohar Lal, Rasheed Khan, members of the Central Executive Committee and Social Forum of the MQM were also present on the occasion.

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