Call between leaders: MQM calls off Zardari's parliamentary address boycott

Rehman Malik directed to travel to Karachi, resolve issues.

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari, sensing his historic fifth address in the National Assembly was to made meaningless with a major coalition partner boycotting, called Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain late on Friday night. Soon after, MQM decided to call of its boycott, Express News reported.

In a statement issued by MQM, Zardari told Hussain that strict notice of extortion had been taken, and Interior Minister Rehman Malik had been dispatched to Karachi to reslove the matter.

The Muttahid Quami Movement (MQM) had announced on Friday to boycott the joint session of parliament to protest against extortion in Karachi. The decision had been taken during a meeting of the MQM Rabita Committee.

All Private School Management Association has announced that schools will be closed tomorrow. No decision has been taken on government schools.

University of Karachi will remain open tomorrow.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi had earlier said that incidents of extortion in Karachi could not be stopped by anyone else but President Asif Ali Zardari.

MQM was protesting today against rising extortion and street crimes in Karachi.

Speaking to the media outside the National Assembly, he said that MQM spoke to every responsible person in the government, including Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah and law enforcement agencies.

“They [extortionists] have held the people of Karachi hostage. Whoever wishes comes to Karachi and loots its citizens. I ask, how long will this go on for?”

“Go and check CPLC records… more than 60 children have been kidnapped for not fulfilling the demands of the extortionists,” he said.

‘After its share in the economy, will bhatta also be taken out from Karachi?’

Accompanying Rizvi outside the National Assembly, MQM MNA Waseem Akhtar said that the biggest contribution in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award is made by Karachi.

“Be it Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa… Karachi makes the largest contribution in NFC award, Karachi makes the biggest share in terms of zakaat collected from across the country… now will they take out bhatta [extortion money] from Karachi as well?”

“We are not threatening; we are just requesting the government to prioritise the masses. Our priority is our vote bank – the people of Karachi,” said Akhtar.

“President Zardari should take this matter seriously and if he doesn’t then it will cost a huge deal to the country.”

He alleged that the government was backing the incidents of extortion in Karachi. “Extortion is being done under the supervision of the government.”

MQM protests outside Sindh Assembly

A protest against rise in extortion and street crime by the MQM was underway outside the Sindh Assembly earlier today. The business community announced during the protest that it will observe a black day on Saturday and businesses will remain closed.

The MQM MPAs joined the protestors after protesting inside the Sindh Assembly.

On an appeal from the party’s coordination committee, people in large numbers gathered for an ‘organised protest’ around the Arts Council round-about near the Sindh Assembly from 9am onwards.

The protestors include MQM supporters, members of the business community and women.

Waving MQM flags, the protestors chanted slogans against the rising extortion in Karachi.

The women present at the protest complained that their husbands were receiving death threats for having declined the demand of giving extortion money. They complained that it is harming their businesses.

Late Thursday night, the party’s chief, Altaf Hussain announced that MQM will take up the matter and that it will not let the people of Karachi remain under the pressure of the extortion mafia.

Subzwari while talking to Express News said that it was the government’s responsibility to end extortion and relieve the people. “If extortionists are roaming around scot-free then there must be some force backing them.”

Earlier on Thursday, MQM walked out of the National Assembly and also threatened that it will boycott the joint session of the Parliament if the government did not take action against extortion and street crimes.

Inside the National Assembly

Members of the MQM also protested inside the National Assembly. Shortly after the question hour session ended, Akhtar said that the Sindh Government had failed to curb extortion in the province.

Akhtar threatened that if the people of Karachi were not given assurance that extortionists will be dealt with an iron hand, then the party will be compelled to “not let tomorrow’s joint session of the parliament happen”.

MQM representatives chanted slogans for more than 10 minutes, which halted the house business.

Inside the Sindh Assembly

Earlier, MQM MPAs were chanting slogans inside the assembly hall, holding placards they demanded an end to support for extortionists and kidnappers.

The session began around 11:35am and was chaired by Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza.

Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan was also inside the assembly but did not speak to the MQM legislators inside the hall.

The MQM legislators began chanting as Deputy Speaker Raza asked for the ritual of fatehas, while Raza was trying to ask the legislators to sit down.

Raza was unable to maintain order and skipped on to the question hour. The legislators surrounded the speaker's table.

An MQM MPA bent MPA Arif Mustafa Jatoi's microphone, who Raza had directed to start asking questions.

Education minister Pir Mazharul Haq spoke to MQM parliamentary leader Sardar Ahmed while the MQM MPAs ripped up the placards.

Raza later adjourned the session to Monday citing the behavior of MQM MPAs.

Subzwari spoke in the hall and reiterated the demands of protection for traders and complained that the MQM was not allowed to raise the issue in the assembly shortly after which the assembly's lights were switched off.

While speaking to the protestors outside the Sindh Assembly, Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan said that such events never occurred in the assembly before and regretted what happened. When asked if the coalition would break up, Wassan said that the MQM “has to stay with us”.

Wassan said that around 800 police officials were deployed in different areas of the city to prevent incidents of extortion and street crimes.

He said that the government’s mandate was to take action against the recurring incidents of crime. Wassan said that it was Sindh government’s responsibility to provide protection to the business community and that President Asif Ali Zardari had also given directives in this regard.

Citing government’s role in maintaining a stable security situation in Karachi, he said that over the last two years, police have recovered a large number of arms and foiled many terror acts.

Meanwhile, MQM leader Faisal Subzwari said that MQM will raise its voice at every available legal and democratic forum. He said that if the law enforcement agencies, who say that they cannot “access” certain areas keep saying this then the people of Karachi will come out on the roads and barge into those areas to control the situation on their own.

He said that MQM was a common man’s party. “We cannot let it go on like it’s been happening. Extortionists are at large, kidnappers are at large. MQM is with every citizen of Pakistan who wants it to be a crime-free country.”