MQM has machinery for violence in Karachi: Asma Jahangir

SCBA president says JIT reports show how operations are carried out and how cells operate in the city.

KARACHI: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Asma Jahangir on Tuesday said the recently released Joint Investigation Team (JIT) reports showed that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had machinery through which it carried out acts of violence in the city.

Speaking during today's suo motu hearing on Karachi violence, she said the reports not only showed how they carried out the operations, but also how their cells were operating.

The SCBA president said that bhatta collection had been there before the MQM but had become more sophisticated when the party was founded.

She said the situation in the city was very complex and members of the judiciary themselves had experienced that during the May 12 incident.

Jahangir said families of the victims were looking towards the court for justice.

She read out names from a special report and said that all political and religious parties were involved in the collection of fitra, zakat and hides during Eid. Jahangir said there were names of over 200 people who belonged to political parties in the report but no action had been taken against them so far.

The chief justice then asked Additional IG Sindh Saud Mirza in what state of mind the police had recommended the code of conduct for forceful collection and that any such act was a crime under the Pakistan Penal Code.

“The government needs to understand they serve the people. Fundamental rights are for the people and not for political parties,” she said.

She informed the court that criminal groups in Lyari had support from certain political parties.

“Zafar Baloch of the Peoples Amn Committee has the support of the PPP and Arshad Pappu and Waseem Baloch have the support of MQM-A and the Katchi Rabita Committee.”