‘MQM leaders could be assassinated’

MQM's Coordintaion Committee requests government to provide security to its leaders who have received death threats.

KARACHI:

An interior ministry report revealed life threats to leaders of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), following which they were instructed to limit their activities.

The interior ministry cautioned the MQM leaders to be extra vigilant about their personal security. The report, which has been sent to MQM, says Farooq Sattar, Haider Abbas Rizvi and Mustafa Kamal face serious threats to their lives.

MQM’s Coordination Committee has expressed grave concern over media reports and about the information received from the interior ministry regarding threats to the lives of its leaders. The committee urged the government to take concrete steps for protecting the lives of people mentioned in the report.

Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik informed The Express Tribune that there are serious threats to the lives of MQM’s Deputy Convener and federal Minister Dr Farooq Sattar, federal Minister Senator Babar Khan Ghauri, Deputy Parliamentary Leader of MQM in the National Assembly Haider Abbas Rizvi, provincial Minister Faisal Sabzwari and former city nazim Mustafa Kamal, hence they should remain extremely cautious.

Despite repeated attempts to contact them to confirm they have been provided adequate security or not, the MQM leaders were unavailable for comments.

Meanwhile, the deputy spokesperson of the party told The Express Tribune that it is the constitutional and legal responsibility of the government to provide parliamentarians with strict security. He confirmed that no security has been provided to them as yet, but the government has assured that a security would be provided soon to ensure the safety of their party leaders.

The MQM, which has its roots in Karachi, has witnessed assassination of two of its top leaders recently.

Party chief Altaf Hussain has also said that there were threats to his life even in London.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2010.