The Z Files: ‘Mirza is Sindh’s lion...we are ready to die for you’

STPP’s Magsi wants to probe Mirza’s statements.

HYDERABAD:

The only political party to have completely supported former Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza’s volatile disclosures, the Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party (STPP) demanded a judicial commission to probe these allegations.

“A judicial commission of the Sindh High Court should investigate the claims made by Mirza and the documents he showed,” said the STPP chairperson Dr Qadir Magsi at a press conference on Monday.

He proposed penalising Mirza if the allegations put forward by him proved to be false. But if the charges are proved then action should be taken against the accused. “There have been instances of banning political and religious parties and their welfare offshoots for their involvement in terrorist and anti-state activities,” Magsi said.

Repeating his demand for the introduction of a biometric voting system in Karachi and Hyderabad, Magsi claimed that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement will not be able to win a single parliamentary seat in fair elections. “I appeal to the citizens of Karachi and Hyderabad to break the shackles of fear and be ready for any sacrifice for their liberty,” he said.

Magsi also requested the government to provide free licenced arms to Sindhi-majority areas which have seen ethnic violence. “Once peace is restored those weapons will be given back to the government,” he declared.

Replying to a question regarding the apparent split among the nationalist parties vis-a-vis Mirza’s attack on the MQM, Magsi hoped to see all of them united for one cause after Eidul Fitr. Meanwhile, in the morning workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party and STPP organised separate rallies in support of Mirza. Their slogans read, “Mirza is Sindh’s lion ... we are ready to die for you.

In your support

Party workers held rallies and staged demonstrations in different cities and towns of upper Sindh. The protesters demanded that the government should remove Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing of Sindhis in Karachi.

In Mirpur Mathelo, scores of workers led by Nawaz Jalbani, Zahid Mirani and others carried banners and began their march from Bhittai Chowk. They shouted slogans in favour of Mirza and against Rehman Malik, Altaf Hussain and Dr Ishratul Ebad.

Similar protest rallies and demonstrations were also held in other cities and towns including Ghotki, Ubauro, Daharki, Khanpur Mahar, Jacobabad, Thull, Kashmore, Kandhkot and others.

Local STPP leaders including Nawaz Jalbani said that Mirza’s statements must be taken seriously because he is part of the ruling party. “His allegations against Malik and Ebad seem true, because he made these allegations while holding the Holy Quran on his head,” said the leaders. “We are the sons of this soil and we will never tolerate any conspiracy against the country, especially the province of Sindh,” said the leaders.

With additional reporting from Sarfaraz Memon



Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2011.