ATTACK ON SRI LANKAN PLAYERS IS A BRUTAL,

CALLOUS AND NAKED TERRORISM – ALTAF HUSSAIN

London: 3 March 2009

Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) in a statement issued from London said that he was saddened and shocked in horror over the “Lahore Attack” in which the callous and cold blooded terrorists’ most inhumanly and mercilessly attacked the Sri Lankan cricket players who as a goodwill gesture volunteered to play in Pakistan while the rest of the world had refused.

Mr Altaf Hussain vehemently condemning this attack said that today’s attack was a barbaric and naked terrorism that deserves severest of condemnation and was not only an attack on Sri Lankan cricket players but on Pakistan. Paying tributes to the martyred policemen, he said that the entire nation is proud of their valour and salutes their sacrifices who laid their lives like brave men defending the players of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team and the innocent citizens of Lahore that was expected of all patriotic men. He prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the soul of the martyred policemen in Jannat-ul-Firdaus and grant their family members strength to endure the losses of their loved ones and also prayed for a speedy recovery of the injured cricket players whose lives the Almighty Allah saved in this attack.

Mr Altaf Hussain demanded of the President Mr Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Governor of Punjab Mr Salman Taseer and the Federal Interior Minister Mr Rahman Malik to apprehend the perpetrators and give them exemplary punishments.  Calling on the nation, Mr Altaf Hussain asked the nation to unite against the fanaticism and terrorism to defeat the curse of terrorism from the country. He further added that it would serve no purpose blaming out side forces for this attack and masking those who are truly responsible who manifest their terrorism on a sustained manner in Pakistan. Concluding his statement, he said that today was the “Blackest Day” for Pakistan that has tarnished her image throughout the world.