PRESS CONFERENCE
14TH OCTOBER 2010
Respected Journalists
Assalam-o-Alaikum.
We are thankful to you for coming to attend this press conference.
This press conference has been called to explain to you the motives behinds the abduction and gruesome murders of two of the workers of MQM.
According to details Muhammad Azhar-ul-Hassan S/O Zaki-uz-Zafar and Muhammad Asif S/O Abdul Majeed, workers of MQM Unit 132, Qasba Aligarh Sector had gone to Kharadar on Tuesday 12th October 2010 when they were abducted by the terrorists of Layari gang war at gun point and were subjected to inhuman torture all night at some unknown location. They were brutally murdered and their bodies were thrown in Mauripur and Saeedabad on Wednesday. The dead body of 29 year old Muhammad Asif was found on 13th October 2010 from Mawach Goth, Noor Shah Mohalla of Mauripur Police Station whereas the dead body of 39 year old Muhammad Azhar-ul-Hassan was discovered from Yousuf Goth area of Saeedabad Police Station.
In a separate incident today on 14th October 2010 three more workers of MQM Syed Khalid Hussain Siddiqui S/O Abdus Samad Siddiqui, Shahbaz Ahmed S/O Wahab Ahmed and Sabir Ali S/O Farmaish Ali have been killed mercilessly. They were abducted previous night from Pahlwan Goth, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and their dead bodies were found at Malik Apartment, Shahrah-e-Faisal near Malir Halt. They were subjected to inhuman torture and fired in the head. In this way five workers of MQM have been gunned down in last 24 hours.
The savage incidents of killings of MQM workers in a cold-blooded manner are highly condemnable. More than 200 hundred workers of MQM have fallen victim to various incidents of target killing and terrorism since January 2009 including Member of Provincial Assembly of MQM Syed Raza Haider. Sadly not a single murderer of workers of MQM has been arrested.
Respected Journalists
According to information available with us one of the notorious groups of Layari gang war is involved in the abduction and killing of the workers of MQM near Layari who enjoy complete backing of some important functionaries in the Government of Sindh. You all along with the whole city know it full well that criminal elements of Layari gang war are involved in big heists in banks, markets, bungalows and collection of extortion money from industrialists, traders and shopkeepers. They are also involved in kidnapping for ransom cases besides many other heinous crimes.
These criminals give their telephone numbers and names with brazen assurance and are looting traders, industrialists and well-off people with impunity. Their faces are present in the CCTV footages of the banks. The CPLC has complete records of these groups that have been published in newspapers with their names. Despite these facts Police and the Home Department do not lay hands on them as a consequence of which not only Layari but whole of the city has become a hostage in the hands of these criminal groups. Press and media are witness to the people who have conducted gatherings of the criminal elements of Layari gang war and those who provide political umbrella to them by participating in their programmes.
Respected Journalists
We have been informing the United States, Britain, Canada, France and other countries of the European Union that the political elements that provide shelter to the criminals of Layari gang war, drug mafia, land mafia, are behind the recurring acts of violent and terrorist activities. They have joined hands and are bent upon destroying Karachi while we are working with patience despite the killings of our leaders and workers in the larger interest of peace of the city.
Respected Journalists
We fully believe in the freedom of the press and never intend to interfere in the affairs of Journalists and we appeal humbly to Journalists from the electronic and print media, anchor persons, columnists and entire community that kindly to be careful in the selection of words during the reporting and comments on the incidents because some words tend to convey wrong meanings. For example target killing insinuates as if two or more than two groups are being subjected to target killings. But the fact of the matter is that in the last 24 hours five of MQM workers and supporters have been martyred. We call this one sided target killing of MQM workers. We request you to use the term of “target killing” in proper context in your reporting. We firmly believe in the freedom of the press and have always stood by you and will stand by you. We expect a fair treatment from you and make a passionate appeal to see for yourself as to who is suffering and who is involved in target killing and giving protection to it. We appeal to you to differentiate between killers and the killed and the oppressors and the sufferers.
Respected Journalists
We demand of President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and all other authorities to arrest the terrorists involved in the abduction and grisly murder of MQM workers Azhar-ul-Hassan and Muhammad Asif immediately and start action against the protectors of the criminal elements.
Respected Journalists
In the end we express our heartfelt condolences to the families of workers and supporters of MQM shares their grief equally. We pray Almighty Allah to give courage and fortitude to their families. We appeal to all MQM workers not be provoked at any cost and bear with patience and perseverance and defeat lawlessness and killings to hold belief that the cruel murderers of our innocent workers will not be spared from the wrath Allah.
Thank you
Co-ordination Committee
Muttahida Quami Movement
Pakistan.