MQM walks out over worker’s ‘custodial killing’

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani winds up agenda in 10 minutes, adjourns session

KARACHI: During the Sindh Assembly session on Friday, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - Pakistan staged a walkout, protesting against the death of their worker in Karachi Central Jail. After the pandemonium in the House, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani wounded up the agenda in 10 minutes and adjourned the session till Monday.

As the session started, MQM-Pakistan lawmaker Faisal Subzwari raised this issue on point of order and said, “Our worker, Muhammad Hussain Ghanchi, has been tortured to death in Karachi [Central] Jail,” he said. “He succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. He was not awarded capital punishment but jail authorities have tortured him.” He demanded that the government form a Sindh Assembly committee, comprising members from various parties to probe into the matter.

During Subzwari’s speech, majority of MQM members stood up. Parliamentary Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said the government will look into the matter if any inmate was tortured to death in jail. “There are reports that he was unwell and died on the way to the hospital,” he said.



Prison Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar refuted the reports that the prisoner was killed and said the government can make a committee or judicial commission to investigate the incident. “If MQM wants, the judicial commission can submit report within a week,” he said.

However, the MQM members demanded that a parliamentary committee be constituted and continued their protest. “The prison minister is assuring to resolve this matter by constituting a committee,” said Durrani. “Why are you still protesting?” The MQM members nevertheless continued their protest and staged a walkout.

After the MQM members left, the speaker hurried the agenda and asked the members to move their call attention notices, adjournment motion and question and answers, majority of which were tabled by MQM MPAs. In the absence of the protesting lawmakers, the speaker finished the agenda within 10 minutes.



After the agenda, the speaker asked Parliamentary Minister Khuhro if would now initiate the debate on the quarterly budget. However, Khuhro refused, saying, “We have other commitments, too, so I request you to adjourn the session till Monday.” After this, the speaker adjourned the session, which barely lasted 41 minutes altogether.

After the session, the MQM and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) members vented out their anger before the media, blaming each other for corruption, bad governance and no rule of law. “The prisons minister was also present in jail when our worker was killed,” Subzwari said, adding that serial killings have started of their workers outside and inside the jails. He said that they demanded for a parliamentary committee to be set up but the PPP government refused. “If a senate committee on human rights can probe into such matters, then why this issue can’t be dragged in the provincial assembly?” he questioned. He said the MQM would continue its protest till the committee is formed. “We want to see how the government runs the assembly session [without us]. They can’t do it,” he said.

Committee formed

After a few hours of the assembly session, the government constituted a committee under the supervision of the special home secretary to investigate the death of the MQM worker. Prisons DIG and an officer of the health department will be among other members.



According to the prisons minister, the committee will submit its findings within three days. “I will personally submit the report in the assembly session,” Lanjar told The Express Tribune. “Every party has the democratic right to protest on any issue but MQM members are doing politics on the death of their worker by presenting a wrong picture inside the assembly.” He added that he has ordered the temporary suspension of the Karachi Jail superintendent till the committee submits its report.

“The inmate was suffering from a heart attack,” said Lanjar. “Some MQM leaders were also present inside the jail. He died on the way to the hospital.” He added that after the death, the body was handed over to the magistrate while the victim’s family also recorded their statement that it was a ‘natural death’.  According to Lanjar, the jail authorities requested the family for a post-mortem but they refused it. “All the statements are on the record but, unfortunately, MQM is making a fuss because they have no other issue against the government,” he concluded.

Resolution against governor

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker Khurrum Sher Zaman submitted a resolution during the session against Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair who, while addressing a seminar on Thursday, urged upon the people to vote for his party, Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N).



Zaman referred to the Constitution of Pakistan and said, “The post of the provincial governor represents the federation and, according to the Constitution, this post is non-political and non-partisan in nature,” he said, adding that in a seminar held on May 4, the governor requested the people to vote for his party in the upcoming general election. “This gives the impression that the governor is campaigning on behalf of that particular political party,” he said.

The resolution further read that this statement of the governor is an alarming matter for the House. Therefore, it added, the House demands that the federal government direct the Sindh governor to stop uttering such political remarks. “He should rise above his political partnership and limit himself to his duties as outlined in the Constitution and in accordance to his oath of office.”

Though the resolution was submitted, but it could not be taken up on Friday as the speaker adjourned the session following MQM’s protest against its worker’s death.