Calls for jihad against Mohajirs raised from Orangi: MQM

Party is strong enough to retaliate with full force: Qasim Ali Raza.


Express June 17, 2011

KARACHI:


One of Karachi’s main political parties has claimed that a call for jihad against “Mohajirs” is being made from mosques in certain neighbourhoods. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) press conference came on a second day of violence when at least four more men were gunned down in drive-by shootings. Most of the victims were hit in Qasba Colony, Orangi Town, where the mosque announcements were said to have been made.


“The extremists have been making announcements from mosques in Pashto, calling for ‘jihad’ against the Mohajirs [Urdu-speaking people] in Orangi Town and Qasba Colony,” said the MQM’s Qasim Ali Raza. “The MQM will not tolerate [this] and would not hesitate to retaliate with full force against the extremists.”

Raza was flanked by Wasay Jalil of the party. The men brought up the violence that has plagued Orangi Town, Qasba Colony, Aligarh Colony and surrounding neighbourhoods.

“Not everyone who speaks Pashto is necessarily a worker of the Awami National Party (ANP) but there are a few Pashto-speaking extremists who have called for jihad against the Mohajir,” said Jalil. “The peace and tranquillity is only conditioned by the political will of parties. Every political party must play a part to keep the peace.”

During the press conference, the MQM played a video of what it described as the Qasba and Orangi mosque announcements. There was no way to independently verify their content or the place where it was recorded.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2011.

COMMENTS (30)

samina | 12 years ago | Reply

the pathans in karachi are small traders just trying to make a living . karachi is part of pakistan and every pakistani has a right to live and earn there , its not an exclusive mqm club . pathans are not talibans , talibs are not exclusive to any race , southern punjab is full of talibans too . mqm has to learn to live and let live !! the pathans are being targeted and killed for trying to earn a lvelihood in a mqm enclave , thats their only sin !!

farah lodhi | 12 years ago | Reply

Rubbish... Ain,t nothing real about this. if it was then news tickers would blast the channels.

Same as MQM aired a documentry on cables about 12 May that sherry Rehman,s Guards were firing on streets.

MQM and ANP both are fascist parties. But MQM has the edge that it introduces the poision of ethnicity in our city. Do they think that 9 million urdu speakers can run the city of 2.5 crore people? more than 4.5 million Pushtun are here who help the country,s economy to survive..

Its time when we all should recognize the blacksheeps and get rid of ethnicity if we want peace.

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