MQM workers observe hunger strike in London

By Our Staff Correspondent

LONDON, July 20: Workers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Tuesday staged a day-long hunger strike opposite 10-Downing Street, the official residence of Prime Minister Tony Blair, to draw the world attention towards the human rights violations by Nawaz Sharif government in Pakistan, particularly the extra-judicial killings of Mohajirs in Karachi.

The first batch of MQM workers comprising Senator Nasreen Jalil and a former MNA Anis Ahmad started their 12-hour hunger strike just opposite the main entrance gates of the 10-Downing Street.

The hunger strike camp, just below the statue of General Montgomery, is attracting great attention of the tourists, many of whom stop and inquire about the reason. The pictures of the tortured bodies of the MQM workers killed by police and pasted on placards are particularly attracting the attention of the people.

Around two dozen MQM workers, including women, remained present there throughout the day, holding placards inscribed with slogans against Nawaz Sharif government and distributed hundreds of leaflets to passers-by.

"Ask Pakistan to stop human rights violations," said one of the placards held by an MQM worker. "Judiciary in Pakistan is subservient to Nawaz Sharif government,", said another placard.

A second batch of MQM workers will replace Senator Nasreen Jaleel and Mr Anis Ahmad at 10.00 p.m.

"We have decided to observe the hunger strike round-the-clock and MQM workers will be replacing the batches every 12 hours," MQM Chief Organizer Muhammad Anwar told Dawn .

He said that on Wednesday morning MQM's parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Sheikh Liaquat Hussain, would stage the hunger strike along with a local MQM office-bearer. On Thursday, Senator Kamal Mustafa would be observing the hunger strike during the day.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain visited the hunger strike camp around 2.15 p.m. on Tuesday to encourage the MQM workers sitting in the camp. He sat along with the hunger strikers for around half-an-hour and talked to them.

MQM leaders said that similar hunger strike camps had been set up in Germany, Belgium, New York, Washington, Chicago and South Africa where MQM workers had simultaneously started hunger strike.

In reply to a question, Senator Nasreen Jalil said that the objective was to draw the world attention toward the ethnic cleansing taking place in Pakistan. "I hope the international community will take notice of this protest and save Karachi from becoming another Kosovo," she said.

She said that the Western world was talking about human rights and good governance, both of which were lacking in Pakistan.

POLICY CONDEMNED: Talking to Dawn at the hunger strike camp, Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain accused the government of pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing in Karachi and said that Mohajirs were being killed indiscriminately by the police inducted by Nawaz Sharif from Punjab.

He said that the government was committing "genocide" of the Mohajir community and supervising the extra-judicial killings of the MQM workers.

He said that the MQM had been forced to organize hunger strike camps throughout the world because all other avenues of peaceful protests had been closed on them in Pakistan.

"We want the international community to take notice of the plight of Mohajirs and to understand the height of brutalities of Nawaz Sharif government."

Mr Hussain condemned the government for stopping MQM leaders Farooq Sattar, Senator Aftab Sheikh, MNA Tariq Javed and MQM's parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly from leaving the country.