Family of deceased political worker seeks justice

MQM-Pakistan's Muhammad Javed was shot dead by the CTD on August 11

KARACHI: The family of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - Pakistan worker, Muhammad Javed, who was killed in an alleged fake police encounter on Friday, seeks justice as he was laid to rest on Sunday amid hue and cry against the Sindh government.

Javed, son of Abdul Khaliq, was killed in a shootout with Sindh's Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on August 11. The encounter took place when he and his two accomplices, who managed to escape, were transporting arms and ammunition in Korangi area, SSP Munir Ahmed Shaikh claimed.

The funeral prayers of the deceased political activist were offered at Tayyaba Masjid in Liaquatabad No 5. MQM-Pakistan leaders such as convener Farooq Sattar, senior deputy convener Amir Khan, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, MPA Faisal Subzwari and others attended it.



According to SSP Shaikh, the deceased was affiliated with the pro-Altaf Hussain group of the party, dubbed as the MQM-London, and was allegedly incharge of a target killers' team in Landhi. Javed had previously been in jail in a number of murder cases and was also absconding in some, he added.

On the other hand, the family refute the police's claims and assert that he was picked up from his house in Gulistan-e-Jauhar by armed men in plainclothes, a trademark of special units of the police and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs), in the wee hours on August 3.

"Armed men, wearing commando jackets, entered our house and asked for our national identity cards," Javed's wife said. "They then asked my husband's and his father's name," she said, adding that after which they told him to come with them.

"He was told to dress properly and when we asked them about where they were taking him, they said he will be allowed to leave after some questioning," she said, sobbing. "We did not hear from him for the next 10 days and on August 11 we were informed that he was killed," she added.

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Javed's wife questioned which of the country's laws allow LEAs to pick up citizens from their homes and then kill them. "I want an answer. Why was he killed in an encounter?" she demanded.

Speaking to the media, MQM-Pakistan leader Subzwari said Javed was picked up by the police and, after his family informed the party, the province-ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was contacted for his safe recovery.

"Amir Khan contacted [former Sindh information minister] Sharjeel Inam Memon and apprised him of the arrest. The next day, [Karachi police chief] Ghulam Qadir Thebo refuted that the worker was in the police's custody," he said.

The party got the news of his killing the day a PPP delegation visited its office in Bahadurabad, Subzwari lamented. "We were painting the walls with the national flag's colours to celebrate Independence Day and in the meantime some elements were throwing blood on them," he claimed.

He held Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal and Inspector-General of Police Allah Dino Khawaja responsible for the killing and asserted that MQM-Pakistan will resort to legal means to get justice.



"The families of those being killed in fake encounters and in custody are asking us questions," the MQM-Pakistan leader said. "The home minister should answer what message he wants to deliver through these illegal arrests and extra-judicial killings," Subzwari added. Which Constitution allows illegally arresting people, killing them and forcibly changing their political affiliation on the desires of some elements that even pay the law enforcers for this job? he asked.

The CTD had said that Javed was a worker of the pro-Altaf Hussain MQM-London. The group faces a virtual ban on its activities since August 22 when MQM founder Altaf Hussain delivered a controversial and incendiary speech during his telephonic address amid a hunger strike staged by the party. The party later was divided in two more factions of Pakistan and London, spearheaded by Sattar and Nadeem Nusrat respectively.