MURDER OF SHAHBAZ BHATTI OUTRIGHT REJECTION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH: DR FAROOQ SATTAR

KARACHI: 6^TH MARCH 2011

A condolence meeting and memorial service was held under Muttahida Quami Movement in memory of the deceased Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz  Bhatti at the Karachi Press Club. The ceremony was attended by thousands of mourners belonging from different faiths. People maintained silence in memory of Mr Shahbaz Bhatti and paid rich tributes to him for his services.

Speaking on the occasion Deputy Convener of MQM Dr Farooq Sattar said that the assassination of Mr Shahbaz Bhatti is an attack on the security and existence of the country. He said that if we want to promote a culture of tolerance in the country then the famous speech of the Quaid-i-Azam on 11^th August 1947 to the Constituent Assembly will have to be made a substantial part of the constitution.  He held out firm assurance to the minorities that MQM will not leave them in this difficult time and will never abdicate its struggle for their rights. He said that the blood of Mr Shahbaz Bhatti will not go in vain and we will continue forward with our struggle.

He said that MQM and the minorities in the country will make Pakistan an enlightened, progressive, civilized and democratic country in the true sense of the words and restore its position in the comity of nations. He said that we will unite the moderate forces in the country and defeat the conspiracy against the Pakistan as and make Pakistan as envisioned by the father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

He warned that if the government of Pakistan will not fulfil its responsibility then a people of the country will bring a revolution and exterminate extremism and terrorism from the country. He said that the assassination of Mr Shahbaz Bhatti amounted to outright rejection of the freedom of speech. He declared that we must stop acting out of expediency and face the challenges gallantly.

He said that Mr Shahbaz Bhatti and Mr Altaf Hussain have made co-ordinated efforts for the rights of the minorities in the country and we would continue his mission forward and take Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and other minorities along with us in the progress and development of the country. Dr Sattar demanded of the government to arrest the assassins of Mr Shahbaz Bhatti immediately and unearth the conspiracy behind his murder.

Addressing the condolence meeting member of the Co-ordination Committee Raza Haroon said that we are all Pakistanis and we reject terrorism and the philosophy of religious extremism. He said that we must not forget the day when Mr Shahbaz Bhatti was killed because if we did forget the day then we may see more of such incidents in future. He warned that if the liberal and progressive forces in the country continued to remained silent then a day would come when the extremist forces would overwhelm us. He said that it is not the time act on expediency rather we must take practical steps against extremist forces and maintain unity.

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