Back to where it all began: MQM-Pakistan workers barred from entering Yadgar-e-Shuhada

Leaders allowed to visit monument amid tight security

KARACHI: In its second attempt since last year’s August 22 saga, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) – Pakistan made a successful entry into Azizabad, bastion of the party’s power, after a dramatic scene to offer prayers at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada – a monument built to honour the party’s killed workers.

The plan to visit the monument was announced by MQM-Pakistan Convener Farooq Sattar in his press conference on Thursday night in which he made a dramatic and emotional speech on the criticism he faced for announcing an alliance with Mustafa Kamal’s Pak Sarzameen Party.

It was intended that the party leaders, along with workers would visit the place, however, the plan changed overnight after law enforcement authorities expressed ignorance of any permission sought by the party and apprehended that the gathering may affect the law and order situation.

“It is deplorable that the party workers and public are not allowed to visit the Yadgar-e-Shuhada. But we are thankful to our workers who arrived despite the fact that we asked them not to come,” Sattar said while speaking to the mediaat  Liaquat Ali Khan Chowk, formerly known as Mukka Chowk. “We are thankful to Allah that we have been able to make it [to the monument] after a wait of at least one year.”

 



Sattar, flanked by the party’s coordination committee members including Amir Khan, Faisal Subzwari, Kamran Tessori and Aminul Haq, entered Azizabad in the form of a rally from Aisha Manzil. At the time several groups of workers were also present, vying to go along with their party leadership to visit the monument. People, especially women, could be seen waving their hands in welcome and solidarity while standing on their balconies en-route to Yadgar-e-Shuhada.

However, police and other law enforcement contingents present at the scene prevented them from marching forward. An extra contingent of law enforcers, particularly the police from different police stations of District Central, were called and deployed along the routes leading towards Yadgar-e-Shuhada. Apart from the paramilitary force and plainclothes personnel, about 350 cops were also on-duty to avoid any untoward incident.

 

The MQM-Pakistan leadership was only allowed to visit Yadgar-e-Shuhada to offer prayers. “We did not stop anyone,” denied Azizabad SHO Jamal Leghari. “We were ordered to provide security to them and we just obeyed our high ups’ orders.”

On the occasion, the area echoed with pro-Muhajir slogans. “Naray Muhajir, Jeay Muhajir’, ‘Naray Muttahida, Jeay Muttahida’ and ‘Zinda Hai Muhajir Zinda Hai’ were favorite slogans of the hundreds of party workers gathered at Liaquat Ali Khan Chowk.



The party workers seemed angry over the authorities’ decision to stop them from marching towards Yadgar-e-Shuhada. “Stopping us from visiting Yadgar-e-Shuhada to offer prayers for our loved ones is a defeat of those who intentionally stop us,” said Ovais Baig, a party worker who shouted pro -Muhajir slogans at the top of his lungs.

Though the party leadership had announced to visit the graves of the martyrs at Shuhada Graveyard after visiting the Yadgar-e-Shuhada, the leadership after returning from the Yadgar-e-Shuhada changed their programme at the last moment. “We are not going to the graveyard. We are going to Bahadurabad [MQM-Pakistan office] to hold a media talk directly,” said Subzwari.

The party leadership has a reason for this. “The key leadership like Farooq Bhai and others decided not to visit the graveyard particularly because of the security reasons while the others, including deputy convener Kaiful Wara, Shabbir Qaimkhani and Abu Bakar and the parents of the late Dr Imran Farooq visited the graveyards and offer prayers at the graves of Dr Imran Farooq, Khalid Bin Waleed and Azeem Tariq,” explained Haq. “We had also changed our plan to go in the form of rally as authorities asked us not to for security reasons.”



Talking to the media at Liaquat Ali Khan Chowk, Sattar vowed that the blood of the ‘martyred’ workers would not go in vain and MQM-Pakistan, through a non-violent political struggle, will win the Muhajir community their due rights.

“Workers and public alike supported our August 23 stance and evidence of this was the popularly successful show of November 5 at the Liaquatabad flyover,” he said. “This all indicates that if there is a national political party then it is MQM-Pakistan. Discipline, kite and the MQM-Pakistan our our identity,” he said.

The first time MQM-Pakistan attempted to make it to Yadgar-e-Shuhada was when Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar was released from prison. The attempt, however, failed as activists belonging to MQM-London also converged on the venue, thus, ensuing a battle of slogans and counter slogans leading to a clash. The police and Rangers had dispersed both the parties.