Bashir Qureshi: JSQM wary of Wassan’s promise to send samples to London

KARACHI:

The Sindh government assured Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) that viscera of its late leader Bashir Qureshi will be sent abroad for clinical examination for ascertaining the cause of his death.

This was stated by Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan after he met a five-member JSQM delegation, led by general secretary Asif Baladi, at his residence on Tuesday.

JSQM has expressed its dissatisfaction with the current Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government and other institutions on numerous occasions.

“We are also willing to know whether it was a natural death or a result of a conspiracy,” said Wassan, referring to the controversy surrounding Qureshi’s death. “The party [JSQM] has expressed concern that post-mortem samples of Qureshi’s body have been mislaid. We can exhume the body for further legal formalities, if needed.”

JSQM’s Baladi, however, did not hesitate in letting the media know about the party’s suspicion. “We believe that the conspiracy has been hatched either by state agencies, government or its coalition partners.” He demanded an inquiry conforming to “international standards,” as Qureshi’s murder was “like that of Benazir Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto.”

Baladi demanded that the clinical examination should be done at a hospital in London. “Wasan sahib has assured us that our demands will be met, but he has sought two days to arrange it.”

When asked about the government’s apparent willingness to facilitate the investigation, Baladi said, “There is a slim chance that the government will fulfil its promises, but we don’t want to miss any opportunity that is presented to us.”

It may be mentioned here that PPP leaders went to Qureshi’s hometown, Ratodero, soon after the nationalist leader’s death, to offer condolences to his family and party members.

JSQM members are of the view that Qureshi was poisoned to death, and have been demanding an impartial inquiry. However, the government constituted a 15-member medical board which is headed by the Dow Medical University’s forensic medicine department head Prof Umer Memon. The board was supposed to complete its investigation by April 16, but has failed to do it so far. Baladi added that Prof Memon has expressed his dissatisfaction over the facilities available to the medical board.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2012.