PEACEFUL STRIKE CALLED JOINTLY BY MQM AND JSQM THROUGHOUT THE PROVINCE OF SINDH
28 February 2000
London:08.00am.
In utter frustration, the police have once again,
registered concocted F.I.Rs against MQM Senator Aftab Ahmed
Sheikh, Nasreen Jalil, Zain Shah and Basher Qureshi of JSQM to
regards to today’s “Shutter Down” strike.
London:07.15am.
The personnel of Mirpurkhas Police, Hyderabad Police,
Sukker Police and Nawabshah Police raided several houses of MQM
workers and supporters and arrested several of them. During
night long raids, the raiding party forcibly entered into the
houses, severely tortured the incumbents and ransacked the houses.
London:06.30am.
The entire industrial area of Korangi remained closed
today to observe the peaceful strike call of MQM and JSQM.
London:06.00am.
Complete shutter down strike being observed in the urban
centres of Sindh, all the schools, major businesses, financial
institutions and commercial centres are closed.
London:05.40am.
Similarly the area of North Nazimabad and Federal B. Area
are also observing complete strike with all the shop and
businesses shut down.
London:05.00am.
Afraid and fearful over the overwhelming success of the
peaceful strike call by the MQM and JSQM throughout the province
of Sindh, the personnel of police and other law enforcement
agencies have now once again resorted to unleashing the reign of
terror amongst the peaceful citizens of Sindh. In the areas of
Lyari, Nazimabad, Saddar, Burns Road, Malir, Orangi Town and
Baldia Town of Karachi, it has been witnessed that the police
officials along with large number of police personnel are
harassing and threatening the shopkeepers and owners of small
businesses to immediately open up their shops and offices or else
get ready to face the consequences. Several reports of police
brutalities have so far been reported to Nine Zero, the MQM Head
Office and to the press.
London:04.15am.
Heavy Contingents of Police and other Law Enforcement
Agencies arrested several hundreds workers and supporters of the
MQM and JSQM, brutally tortured and taken to unknown detention
centres.
London:03.00am.
People of Bhains Colony,
Karachi reported that Police resorted to indiscriminate firing in
the area terrorising and intimidating people to open their shops
and businesses to fail the strike call given by the MQM and JSQM
in entire Sindh. However, instead of people opening their shops,
they were harassed and traumatised by the police firing and
locked themselves into their houses fearing for their lives and
properties. The Army, Civil Administration, Police and other Law
Enforcement Agencies appears to be utterly frustrated by the
peoples voluntary mass support extended to the strike call by the
MQM and JSQM. In their total frustration, the Military and Civil
Administration have become paranoid and schizophrenic.
London:
02.20am.
The personnel of Hussain
Abad Police Station and other law enforcement agencies arrested
Mohammad Farooq Ghauri from the street of Hussain Abad, Hyderabad.
He is a sector in-charge of Sector K, Hyderabad Zone. He is
being detained at Hussain Abad Police Station. He has been
brutally tortured.
We fear that his life is in extreme danger at the hands of the police and law enforcement agencies.
London:
00.20am.
According to latest
eyewitness accounts, the Army personnel roaming the streets of
Karachi, Hyderabad and other
parts of urban and rural
Sindh threatening the shopkeepers, traders and hawkers on
loudhailers to keep their businesses open or face dire
consequences. The eyewitness accounts states that the Army
personnel are intimidating innocent citizens to keep their shops,
stalls and businesses open or else be prepared for arrest and
trial in Military Courts. However, their threat so far has been
frustrated by the people who continued closing their businesses
in the early hours of the evening of 27th. February
2000 in preparation of the total observance of the strike on
Monday, 28th. February 2000 called by the MQM and JSQM.
27
February 2000
London: 11.25pm.
A police mobile vehicle and two mobile vehicles loaded with
police and Para-Military Rangers intermittently passed by
encircling “90”, the MQM Head Office in Karachi. The
registration number of one of the vehicle was 1354. They have,
however, not raided the Head Office of the MQM, as yet.
London: 11.15pm.
According to report received, the house of former MQM Member of
the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Mr Rana Safdar Advocate has
been raided by the personnel of AL-Falah Police Station, Karachi.
The raiding party forcibly entered the house by breaking all the
doors of the house, they plundered the house and maltreated the
members of the household of Mr Rana Safdar Advocate. The
Police looted Thirty-two (32) thousand Rupees, jewellery and
ornaments the family had saved up for their daughters dowry, who
was soon to be married. However, Mr
Rana Safdar Advocate was not at home during the raid.
London: 10.45pm.
The Military Government and government of Sindh province has once
again resorted to illegal and extra-constitutional means to
harass the citizens of Sindh province. In the early hours of the
morning, several raids were conducted on the homes of MQM leaders,
workers and supporters. During a raid in Star Palace in the
locality of Usmanabad, Lyari, Karachi, Police has arrested over
ten innocent workers and supporters of MQM.
London
Time:10.15pm.
The Army and Police personnel have sieged the house of Mr
Waseem Akhter, former Minister for KDA and Town Planning for
Sindh and an MQM Member of the suspended Provincial Assembly of
Sindh province. Mr Waseem Akhter was not present in the house at
the time of the unlawful raid by the Army and Police. The Army
and Police as a common practice, plunder the houses during the
raid, mercilessly beat the members of the household and
invariably molest women. We fear that the family of Mr Waseem
Akhter may be going though this trauma and being tormented by the
tormentors from Punjab, since ninety three per cent of the armed
forces belong to Punjab and ninety-nine per cent of the Police
Force in Karachi and other cities of Sindh province has also been
imported from Punjab province.
London
Time:9.50pm
We have just learnt that Mr Ejaz Mehmood, MQM Member of
the suspended National Assembly has been just now unlawfully
arrested by the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Police Station, Karachi. The
personnel of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Police Station raided the house
of Mr Ejaz Mehmood without any search warrant. Ejaz Mehmood is
around sixty years old, suffering from heart conditions and is a
prominent businessman of Karachi. During his arrest, family
members of Mr Ejaz Mehmood informed the MQM Head Office about his
arrest. The raiding police party ransacked the house of Mr
Mehmood and manhandled the members of the household including
women folks. The Police used abusive language and beat some of
the family members present on the scene.
London
time: 8pm
Eyewitness accounts claim
that the Government has started raids and arrests drive all over
Sindh province including the port city of Karachi, Hyderabad,
Mirpur Khas and Sukkur in the wake of tomorrow's (28th.
February 2000) peaceful strike call given by Muttahida Quami
Movement (MQM) and Jiye Sindh Quami Mahaz (JSQM). The strike call
has been given in protest against the unlawful transfer of Dr
Farooq Sattar, former mayor of Karachi and former Parliamentary
Leader of MQM in Provincial Assembly of Sindh that stands
suspended to Attock Fort in NWFP on the borders of Punjab from
Karachi and the unlawful screening of Mohajir and Sindhi
employees from Government and Semi-Government Institutions.
According to eyewitness accounts, hundreds of MQM and JSQM workers have been unlawfully arrested during the nightlong raids.
So far, one confirmed report has reached us while we wait for the details of others.
Police raided the house of Mr Khalid Tabbasum without any search warrant around midnight (Pakistan Time) at Mirwah, about fifty kilometres from Mirpur Khas and arrested Mr Khalid Tabbasum.
Mr Khalid Tabbasum is a Member of the MQM Zonal Committee of Mirpur Khas. His whereabouts is unknown, at the moment.
London
time: 3 pm
The
personnel of Aram Bagh Police Station have arrested Khalid, Joint
Incharge of MQM Unit 35, Burns Road Sector. He was arrested at
around 7.30 pm Pakistan Time, when he was riding on his
motorcycle. He has been taken to Aram Bagh Police Station and his
motorcycle has also been confiscated by the Police.
London
time: 2.30 pm
In order to sabotage the peaceful strike call of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM)
and Jeay Sindh Quami Mahaz (JSQM), the Administration of Sindh
province has once again resorted to illegal and extra-constitutional
means to harass the citizens of Sindh province. Throughout the
night and the early hours of the day, several raids were
conducted on the homes of MQM leaders, workers and supporters in
the urban centres of Sindh province, southern Pakistan. Similar
raids were also conducted for the arrest of the leaders of JSQM.
During these indiscriminate raids, hundreds of innocent workers
of MQM ans JSQM have been arrested so far.
Throughout the day today, threatening calls by the Administration were made to the homes of the MQM leaders, elected representatives and office bearers.
Many held: JSQM, MQM strike in Sindh today NEW
DR FAROOQ SATTAR, A PRISONER OF
CONSCIENCE IN ATTOCK FORT IN NWFP NEAR THE BORDERS OF PUNJAB
MQM CALLS FOR PEACEFUL
STRIKE ON 28 FEBRUARY 2000 TO PROTEST AGAINST THE ATROCITIES AND
TYRANT ACTS OF THE PRESENT MILITARY GOVERNMENT
FAROOQ SATTAR SHIFTED TO
ATTOCK FORT AND KEPT IN A DUNGEON UNDER SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
DR IMRAN FAROOQ'S LETTER
TO PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ON THE MYSTERIOUS SHIFTING OF DR FAROOQ
SATTAR
MYSTERIOUS SHIFTING
OF DR FAROOQ SATTAR TO ISLAMABAD
Joint Press Conference of
MQM and JSQM for the immediate release of Dr Farooq Sattar
Facilities for Farooq as
per jail manual demanded
ATROCITIES UPON
IMPRISONED MQM LEADER DR FAROOQ SATTAR
Unlawful and Unconstitutional detention
of Dr Farooq Sattar continues...
GOVERNMENT ONCE AGAIN
FAILED TO PRODUCE DR FAROOQ SATTAR IN COURT TODAY
FAROOQ SATTAR NOT
PRODUCED BEFORE COURTS DESPITE STRICT ORDER – DR IMRAN
FAROOQ
CHARGES AGAINST FAROOQ
SATTAR ARE PACK OF LIES --- SENATOR AFTAB AHMED SHIEKH
MY SON IS INNOCENT --
MOTHER OF DR FAROOQ SATTAR
Imran Farooq pays tribute
to Farooq Sattar on his voluntary arrest
DR FAROOQ SATTAR
VOLUNTARILY PRESENTED HIMSELF FOR ARREST FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
SEVERE RE-ACTIONS OF
PEOPLE REPORTED ON THE ARREST OF DR FAROOQ SATTAR
Combined operation of
Army, Rangers and Police at the residence of Dr. Farooq Sattar