MQM’s mourning Day: Karachi comes to a halt for the second time this month

Trade and transport associations resume business after Friday prayers on party’s appeal.

KARACHI: The city came to a standstill for the second time this month on Friday on the appeal of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to observe a day of mourning across the country for its allegedly slain and abducted party workers.

Mourning was announced after the mutilated body of Muhammad Asif, joint unit in-charge of MQM’s Landhi sector, was found from Link Road in the Steel Town police limits on Thursday. He had been missing since April 20. The party had earlier called for a day of mourning on June 6 against the alleged enforced disappearences of its party’s workers.

In Karachi, especially in the party’s stronghold areas, FB Area, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulberg, shops and schools remained closed and public transport was nowhere to be seen.



In some areas of DHA and Clifton, however, rickshaws and buses were seen plying the streets and some petrol pumps and convenience stores were open for business.

Deputy conveners of MQM’s Rabita Committee Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Dr Nusrat and Nasir Jamal and other party workers, attended the funeral of the 38-year-old worker at Jinnah ground.

Asif was one of the nine MQM activists who had gone missing in the last two and half months.

Deputy convener Siddiqui said that the law and order situation in the city was chaotic as Muttahida’s men were being picked up without any arrest warrants.

With the burial of Asif after Friday prayers, the MQM announced an end to the day of mourning . Following the announcement, trade and transport associations resumed business activities.

Rabita committee member Aminul Haque said that it was unfortunate that despite a change in government, injustices against their party continued.

“Being a democratic party, we will continue to protest peacefully against the extrajudicial killings of our workers.” He said that despite a petition  to the Sindh High Court against Asif’s abduction, no action was taken and the man was found dead. “We appeal to the prime minister and the chief justice to look into cases of other missing workers and save their lives.”

MQM’s chief Altaf Hussain thanked the people for observing the day peacefully and said that through their united stand, they had sent out a message that they denounced brutality.

The mourning day was also observed in Hyderabad, where very thin traffic was seen on roads as shops and stalls remain closed.

However, in Qasimabad and Hyderabad rural tehsils, the routine was not much affected.

A Quran Khawani was organsied for the slain worker at the party’s zonal office.  MQM’s zonal incharge Mohammad Sharif, elected representatives and workers of party’s political wings offered prayers.

The day of mourning was also observed in some areas of Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, Benazirabad, Jamshoro, Sanghar and Umerkot districts while prayers were also held for the victim in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Southern Punjab.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2013.