Press Conference

First of all we are thankful to you for coming to attend this Press Conference. We begin with a prayer for the people martyred in the Abbas Town tragedy and for the speedy recovery of the injured. The entire nation prays Almighty Allah to give exalted position to the martyrs in the Heaven. May Allah give courage and patience to the grieving family members!

We are all aware of the details of the worst kind of terrorism that struck in Abbas Town area of Karachi the other day. According to the reports, 48 people have died while many others have been seriously injured. We express our gratitude to the people of Karachi, particularly transport organizations, traders, industrialists, shopkeepers and others for observing a day of peaceful mourning on the appeal of the MQM. They suspended their social, business and educational activities and organized gatherings for the recitation of the Holy Quran.

World fail us in condemning the naked terrorism that took place in Abbas Town. Even small children became victim of the brutal terror attack. What is tragic is that this is not the first incident of its kind and apparently not the last either. It appears that the state and its institutions do not have the will or solid line of action to stop such incidents from occurring in the future.

People of the country also know that two similar incidents had occurred in Quetta but the bloodthirsty killers behind those incidents are still roaming freely. This situation has emboldened the terrorists and now they have started the genocide of the Shia community in Karachi after the organized killings of the people of the Hazara community in Quetta.

We believe that the organized manner and callousness with which the Shia and the Sunni are being killed in Karachi is aimed at fuelling the fire of sectarianism. People belonging to the Sunni and Shia schools of thought are firmly united in Karachi on the MQM’s platform under the leadership of Mr Altaf Hussain.

We believe that the Abbas Town tragedy is an attempt to commit genocide of the Mohajir Shia community in Karachi and to divide them on sectarian lines. This is the same as the genocide of the Hazara community in Quetta. New groups and parties are being formed under a conspiracy and these groups have been given the task to spread the poison of sectarianism.

The sectarian organizations created by the establishment, about whom a false show of outlawry has been made on several occasions, are operating with complete freedom. These terrorist outfits are targeting the Shia and the Sunni people who were living in harmony. The world is being given to understand through these organized killings that the Shia and the Sunni people are not willing to live with each other.

People of Karachi always play an active role in expressing solidarity with the people that are affected by terrorism in any part of the country. They condemn every incident of terrorism openly and strongly. You would remember that the people of Karachi had made a strong and peaceful protest against the tragic killings of the people of the Hazara community in Quetta. The tragedy that struck in Abbas Town is a national tragedy in which dozens of people belonging to the Mohajir community died and many more were injured. But the indifference and callousness shown by leaders and political parties in other provinces on this tragedy is highly condemnable. We ask the so-called national leaders if the innocent people killed in the Abbas Town tragedy are not Muslim. Are the people becoming victims of terrorism in Karachi not Pakistani? Why is this callousness and criminal silence on the killings of the people of the Mohajir community in Karachi?

Mr Altaf Hussain and his followers are expressing solidarity with the grieving families of the martyrs while the defeated political and religious parties, who hold rallies and sit-ins in Karachi whenever every now and then, are nowhere to be seen. Why have they not organized a mourning or protest demonstration? Does it not show that their politics is actuated by their animosity against the MQM and not motivated by the desire to serve the people of Karachi?

These so-called political and religious parties want to create divisions in Karachi along sectarian lines in order to erode the vote bank of the MQM. But we want to make it clear that the people of Karachi and the urban areas of Sindh along with other nationalities are united on the MQM’s platform under the leadership of Mr Altaf Hussain. Their support for the MQM is increasing with each passing day and the Pakhtun Convention held in Islamabad the other day bears this out abundantly. The message of the MQM is spreading rapidly and people from other nationalities are being attracted towards to the MQM for obtaining their rights.

Mr Hussain has pointed out the real objectives of the creation of Pakistan in recent past on several occasions. We are all aware that Pakistan was not meant for the followers of a particular sect only. It was to be the homeland for all Muslims irrespective of their sectarian beliefs. It is unfortunate that certain elements are deviating from the basic idea behind the creation of Pakistan and they are spilling the blood of patriotic Pakistanis on the basis of sectarian differences. This is not only a matter of national shame for us but it is also weakening the foundations of our country.

The Abbas Town tragedy has proved once again that the government and the law-enforcing agencies have failed in their basic duty to protect the life and property of the public. They have been unsuccessful in crushing terrorism. There is not a shadow of doubt left now that the people have been left entirely to the mercy of terrorist elements.

Keeping this in view, we are forced to appeal to the people to make arrangement for their security on self-help basis instead of looking to the government agencies. They should form neighbourhood committees and set up of system of vigilance in order to ensure the protection of their lives, properties and places of worship.

We would also appeal to the government through this press conference to take stern action against the barbaric terrorists behind the Abbas Town tragedy and other incidents in the country. We demand that the government should give compensation to the families of the victims and build the shops and flats from government resources.

Mr Hussain has asked the Co-ordination Committee that everyone was in a state of grief on the Abbas Town tragedy and hence it would be inappropriate to hold the birthday of his daughter Afza Altaf. He has strictly asked all the office-bearers, workers and wings of the MQM not to hold any function on 5th March in connection with the birthday of his daughter.

Once again would extend our deep sense of grief and sorrow to the bereaved families of the martyrs of Abbas Town tragedy and we pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.

We are once again thankful to you for your arrival