KARACHI - Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has said that those elements killing Shia people after taking them out of buses and verifying their identity are, in fact, conspiring to disintegrate Pakistan. “All patriotic Pakistanis must boycott such ruthless elements,” asserted the MQM chief during his telephonic conversations with Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik. Pakistan was being encircled by threats from all sides, Altaf said while adding that it was a gross injustice and an act of enmity against Pakistan. He said that it was a historical reality that the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, belonged to the Khoja Twelver Shia sect and when he died, two separate funeral prayers were offered.  “One funeral prayer was offered by Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani, and the other by a Shia cleric. No one could possibly deny these historical facts. Anyone challenging this would be lying.” He said the Shia people were also Pakistanis. “Even the Hindus, the Sikhs, and the Christians living in Pakistan were citizens of equal stature.”  The MQM chief declared that those compelling the Hindus, Sikhs or other non-Muslims to leave Pakistan were, in fact, doing injustice to Pakistan, and they were brushing aside the teachings of the Quaid-i-Azam with contempt.  He said that the country would be lost in darkness if the patriotic Pakistanis did not come forward to put an end to this injustice. He said that all educated, enlightened and moderate Pakistanis should boycott the heartless elements killing innocent people.He further said that each Pakistani should make a resolve on the occasion of the Eid that he would look at all other Pakistanis as citizens of equal stature. Everyone should be given equal rights, and no one should be discriminated and vilified on the basis of religious beliefs. He said that everyone living in Pakistan has equal rights on Pakistan just as anyone else in the country. Agreeing to the assertions of Altaf Hussain, Prime Minister Ashraf said that the killing of innocent people on the basis of their religious beliefs, whether Shia or any other sect or religion, was the height of injustice and utter bestiality. He said that the elements involved in such heinous deeds were not doing any good to Pakistan.  Prime Minister Ashraf said that the situation in Pakistan could improve greatly if all leaders began to think like Altaf Hussain about Pakistan. The prime minister exchanged Eid greetings with Altaf Hussain.Speaking on the occasion, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that Pakistan needed unity and solidarity. We should not think as Shia, Sunni, Hindu, Muslim or any other religion. We should rise above religious belief and think about Pakistan. No citizen of the country should be discriminated against for any reason.  Rehman Malik said that the elements wanting to fan the fire of sectarian strife within the country were not friends of Pakistan, and they would be dealt with accordingly. He also exchanged Eid greetings with Altaf Hussain. Altaf Hussain praised the steps taken for checking terrorism and maintaining law and order on the occasion of Eid.