Wanton murder: Multan condemns maestro’s killing

Justice demanded for Sabri’s family

MULTAN: The wanton killing of Qawwal Amjad Sabri was strongly condemned on Thursday by Multan-based rights activists, businessmen and lawyers.

Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) President Mughees Sheikh said Sabri’s assassination was part of a larger conspiracy aiming to compromise public order nationwide. He strongly condemned Sabri’s killing. Sheikh said it was perturbing to see that the son of the Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice had been recently abducted from Karachi. He said the news of Ovais Ali Shah was just settling in when Sabri’s killing followed in its wake. Sheikh said the Qawwal was a great, renowned the world over. Sabri was a kind soul in addition to being a legend, he said. The MCCI president demanded the swift arrest of those behind Sabri’s killing. He said they should be quickly brought to justice.

Rights activist Faheem Gill said the killing of Sabri in broad daylight was a testament to the incompetence of the Sindh government and law enforcement agencies. He said if a man of Sabri’s standing could be gunned down at a thoroughfare than lives of common citizens’ were perpetually in peril. Gill said Sabri had survived two attempted assassinations earlier. He said the third bid proved successful. Gill said securing citizens’ lives was a duty of the government. Gill exhorted Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to resign if he found it beyond himself to maintain public order across the province.

Advocate Shahbaz Gurmani said Sabri was a low-profile philanthropist. He said the qawwal had been quietly helping many eat. Gurmani said he had also helped many orphans and widows. He said his untimely demise had left many underprivileged families devastated. Artists spread love across boundaries without the exceptions of caste, colour, creed or nationality. Killing a caring man like Sabri was nothing but a heinous act, Gurmani said.

Businessmen, rights activists and lawyers expressed grief over Sabri’s untimely demise and prayed for him. They demanded that those behind his killing be treated in exactly the same way they had treated Sabri. They demanded justice for Sabri’s kin.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2016.