The controversy surrounding Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz leader Bashir Qureshi’s death remains unresolved, his family and party members complain that the government was purposely delaying matters. They claimed that the Sindh government had not sent Qureshi’s viscera to London and had refused to share the chemical examination report.
“We go to the health department and government’s chemico-bacteriological laboratory on MA Jinnah Road, but they do not give us an update,” said Qureshi’s younger brother Masood. “When we approached the medical board, they were told to collect the report from the health department. When we got there they told us to go to the police surgeon in Larkana.” He added that the surgeon informed him that the department had not sent the final report as yet.
Masood told The Express Tribune that the family wanted to send the viscera to London because they did not trust the government departments. “Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan, who had initiated the case, is on leave,” he said. “No other minister or government official is willing to listen to us or help us.”
According to JSQM General Secretary Asif Baladi, the government was not sincere in trying to solve Qureshi’s murder. “The 15-member medical board is divided over its findings. Some doctors think Qureshi was poisoned,” he said. “Even Dr Umer Memon, who looks after the forensic department at Dow International College and was leading the medical board, confirmed that phosphorous was present in the body. However, since there is no facility in the country to determine what was used, we want tests to be carried out in London.”
He added that they would start a campaign against the government if it did not do what they had promised. “We will block the national highway,” he said. “All the traffic to and from Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa will be blocked. We won’t back down even if the chief minister of Sindh is stuck.” He added that the party members and activists would march to Qureshi’s grave bare foot.
The party had initially decided to start protesting on May 4, but postponed and said that they would announce a date later.
While talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Memon said that the report had been sent to the health department and the Qureshi family should talk to the health ministry for updates. According to the health secretary, Hashim Raza Zaidi, they had contacted the British High Commission in Islamabad for a list of private and public laboratories and were still processing the case. He said that Qureshi’s medical report was sent to the police surgeon in Larkana. He added that he would ask the surgeon to give the family a copy of the report.
The initial report of Qureshi’s post-mortem revealed that he had a heart attack. Although phosphorus was present in the body, the doctors could not determine if it had killed him.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2012.
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