Tahira Asif. PHOTO: FILE
The resolution was moved by the deputy parliamentary leader of the party, Khwaja Izharul Hassan, and read: "[Not only do we] condemn the fatal attack but also demand stern and immediate action [to be taken] against the culprits."
"This shows negligence and incompetency on part of the Punjab government and its police as no one took notice of what happened," said Hassan. "The Pakistan Peoples Party and MQM have rendered several sacrifices in form of leaders and workers but the PML-N, which claims to be the champion of democracy, only comes into government to enjoy the power."
MQM's Muhammad Hussain was also upset with the chief minister of Punjab, claiming that Shahbaz Sharif frequently visited different district when an attack took place or in case of an emergency but did not go to the hospital to ask about Tahira Asif.
Dr Sagheer Ahmed's speech led to heated arguments between the MQM and PML-N MPAs for a few minutes.
"Today, our MNA has been killed. Tomorrow other parties can also suffer in the same way," he said. His words seemed to bother PML-N's parliamentary leader Irfanullah Marwat who stood up and asked the MQM to stop threatening them.
"We also condemn the attack on your MNA but please, stop giving us indirect threats," he said. "There have been threats to the lives of our MPAs. Humayun Khan had to write to the IG for security but so far nothing has come of it." He added that it wasn't only the Punjab government but the Sindh government had also failed to control the law and order situation.
Marwat asked the MPAs sitting in the treasury benches who they held responsible for the death of the PPP MPA, Abdullah Murad, who was killed when the MQM was part of former president Pervez Musharraf's government.
After the resolution was passed, MQM MPAs told the speaker that they wanted to leave the House and protest outside the assembly against the murder of their MNA. They clarified that this was not a walkout but a token protest.
The MPAs stood outside with placards and demanded that those involved in the MNA's killing should be arrested. Afterwards, the MQM MPAs returned to the session and took part in the post-budget discussion. Another resolution was moved by PPP MPA Khairunisa Mughal, the house unanimously paid high tributes to PPP leader and former Prime Minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto on her 61st birthday (June 21).
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2014.
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You live by the gun, you die by the gun.
MQM should realise that the politics of target killing, torture chambers and violence that it initiated will one day come back to roost with it.