ALTAF HUSSAIN APPEALS PEOPLE OF KARACHI TO HOLD BACK THEIR EMOTIONS FOR PEACE
LONDON: 18TH AUGUST 2011
Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has strongly condemned the terrorism and tragic incidents of killings and mayhem in various parts of Karachi, particularly Lyari. He expressed his grief and sorrow over the killings of innocent citizens at the hands of the terrorists. He said that blood was being spilled in Karachi under a deep-rooted conspiracy. Those killing innocent people for their wicked objectives were enemy Karachi and its citizens. Mr Hussain appealed to the people of Karachi to maintain peace and not get provoked by incidents of terrorism, bloodshed and mayhem. He asked them to hold back their emotions for the peace and stability of Karachi. Mr Hussain demanded of President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani to take serious notice of killings, bloodshed and violence in the old city areas of Karachi. He said that extorting money from the businessmen of Karachi should be stopped immediately. The kidnapped people in the grip of the terrorists should be recovered, and the terrorists of the gang war involved in killings of innocent people should be given exemplary punishment. Mr Hussain sympathized with the bereaved family members of those who were abducted and killed by armed terrorists. He prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
ALTAF HUSSAIN ASKS PM GILLANI TO PROTECT
HAPLESS CITIZENS IN KARACHI
GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE STRONG ACTION AGAINST TERRORISTS
LONDON: 18TH AUGUST 2011
Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Mr Altaf Hussain telephoned Prime Minister Gillani and conveyed his deep concerns over the abduction and killing of innocent people in Karachi. Mr Hussain informed Prime Minister Gillani that the terrorists of the gang war were kidnapping and killing passengers from buses of private companies and other vehicles that were going to their offices after ascertaining their identities. He told Prime Minister Gillani that dozens of people have fallen victim to butchery of the terrorists. He requested the Prime Minister to play his role to protect the life and property of innocent citizens and action against the terrorist.
Prime Minister Gillani strongly condemned the killing of innocent people in Karachi and said that the killing of innocent citizens was a tyranny. He said that he was grieved at the situation in Karachi. He said that certain people do not want the PPP and the MQM to work together, but the government would not let their conspiracies to succeed. He assured Mr Hussain that the government will discharge its full responsibilities for protecting the life and property of innocent people in Karachi. He said that instructions have already been issued to Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and officials of Rangers and other law-enforcing agencies.
PRESS CONFERENCE
KARACHI: 18TH AUGUST 2011
Member of the MQM Coordination Committee Raza Haroon said that the international community and the human rights organizations will have to realize the fact that the terrorists of gang war are involved in lawlessness, violence, and killings in Karachi. He was addressing a press conference at Khursheed Begum Secretariat Azizabad, Karachi. Members of the MQM Coordination Committee Shoaib Bukhari, Kunwar Khalid Younus, Waseem Aftab, Nasreen Jalil, Yousuf Shahwani and Wasay Jalil also present. According to details of the Press Conference they said that:
Respected Journalists
First of all, we thank all the journalists and media persons for coming to attend this Press Conference. The purpose of calling this press conference is to inform you and through you to the people about the killings and mayhem in Lyari area of Karachi as a result of gang war and the genocide of the Urdu speaking people by the terrorists of the gang war.
Respected Journalists
You know it very well that armed conflicts between People’s Amn Committee and terrorists of gang war has been continuing relentlessly for several years. These terrorists have been using lethal weapons as well as rocket launchers and hand grenades against each other. The armed terrorists belonging to the gang war have once again resorted to kidnapping and killing against each other in the holy month of Ramadan. Consequently, former MNA of the PPP Waja Karim Dad and several other people were killed and injured. Armed terrorists attacked each other openly, the kidnapped people of the opposing groups, and created panic and fear in the old city areas of Karachi. It is unfortunate that the government, police and the administration stood as silent spectators. No action was taken to restore peace and stability in the city and to protect the life and property of citizens. The police and the administration did not move against the terrorists belonging to the People’s Amn Committee and gang war. It is because of this unfortunate dereliction of duty by the government, police and administration that the terrorists have become so much emboldened that they have started killing innocent Urdu-speaking people in order sabotage relations between the PPP and the MQM. More than 30 people have been abducted from public buses and the vans of private companies after properly ascertaining their identity. These people, most of whom were Urdu-speaking, were later murdered.
Respected Journalists
The people throughout the country, particularly the business community of Karachi and the people living in Lyari know it full well as to who are involved in killing and mayhem in Lyari. The people also know about the influential leaders in the government that are patronizing these terrorists. You know that Karachi is the epicenter of economic activity in Pakistan. It is also called as mini Pakistan. The business community has also been protesting over the situation and sending extortion slips to them by the extortion mafia has become very frequent and daily torment. Business community is being threatened with abduction and murder if the extortion money is not paid. Markets are being attacked with hand grenades and heavy firing. Many shopkeepers and traders lost their lives because of the same unending situation in Sher Shah last year. We want to ask the government what is the fault of the people living in other parts of Karachi, particularly the Urdu-speaking people, in the on-going turf war between criminal elements in Lyari. What is their crime for which they are killed after being abducted? What grievous sin have the Muhajirs of Karachi committed for which they are being forced to mourn and wail even in the holy month of Ramadan and a genocide of the Urdu-speaking people is being done?
Respected Journalists
Peace and stability in Karachi is of utmost importance for the economic development of the country, and Pakistan is acting as a frontline state against terrorism. The international community is working to bring peace and stability in Pakistan, particularly Karachi, to gain success over terrorism. The international community and the human rights organizations will have to realize the fact that the terrorists of gang war are involved in lawlessness, violence, and killings in Karachi, and these terrorists enjoy the overt support of certain leaders of the government. These are the same elements that do not want the process of reconciliation between the MQM and the PPP to become strong, and hence they continue to derail the reconciliatory process every now and then through their vile conspiracies. It is therefore, necessary that the persons responsible for spoiling the peace of Karachi and their sponsors be unveiled. The international community should also exercise its influence on the government to rein in the leaders of the PPP that are patronizing the terrorists of the gang war. The genocide of the Urdu-speaking people in Karachi should stop immediately and complete protection should be provided to the people living in Lyari and elsewhere in the city.
Respected Journalists
We understand that the fighting of the gang war is deliberately being spread in different localities under a well-planned scheme. Innocent citizens of Karachi are being abducted and killed after inhuman torture with a view to provoking the peace-loving people of Karachi to create a law and order situation in the city. The apathetic attitude of the government and administration makes it very clear that they want to hand over old city areas of Karachi to the criminals and terrorists of the underworld like Columbia. President Asif Zardari wants to promote the process of reconciliation in Pakistan, and he is desirous of better relations between the PPP and the MQM. The President must, nevertheless, think what benefit the public would get from this process of reconciliation if the killing of innocent citizens continued like this.
We demand of President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Provincial Home Minister Manzoor Hussain Wassan to take a serious view of the gang-war continuing relentlessly in Lyari. Kidnapping of Urdu-speaking people in different parts of Karachi and their genocide should be stopped immediately. Bloodthirsty killers should be brought to justice and given exemplary punishment, and the citizens should be given security without and discrimination.
We appeal to the peaceful people of Karachi, particularly the families of those who lost their loved ones at the hands of the gang- war terrorists, not to get provoked by acts of terrorism and defeat the conspiracy to destroy peace and tranquility in Karachi by maintaining calm and remaining peaceful.
In the end, we express our heartfelt condolences to the mournful families of the people who have been killed by the terrorist. We pray for their divine forgiveness and eternal peace. We also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. May Allah curse the terrorists who have killed so many people even in the holy month of Ramadan.
Members Co-ordination Committee
Muttahida Quami Movement (Pakistan)