First day of mourning: On MQM’s call, city comes to a standstill

Slain lawmaker Manzar Imam, three others laid to rest.

HYDERABAD/ KARACHI:

Shops, businesses and educational institutes across the city remained shut Friday in anticipation of further unrest after the murder of a legislator and a night of sporadic shootings.

On Thursday, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MPA Manzar Imam, his security guards and a driver were shot dead in Orangi Town. The MQM announced three days of mourning against the assassination claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Overnight violence, left another five people dead and around 30 wounded, according to the police.

The entire city wore a deserted look on Friday. Although government departments, the port and stock exchange were open, attendance remained thin as public transporters had already called off their vehicles from the roads. All gas stations were also shut, adding to the woes of those brave enough to bring out their own cars.

Imam was the second provincial lawmaker of the MQM to be gunned down in just over two years. The murder of MQM MPA Raza Haider in August 2010 had sparked a fierce wave of violence, which left dozens of people dead.

Funeral prayers

Amid sobs, tears and an eerie silence across the city, Imam, his driver and two security guards were laid to rest on Friday.

At Jinnah Ground near MQM headquarters Nine-Zero, scores of people turned up at the funeral prayers of the slain men. The prayers were led by Hafiz Saqib Imam, a nephew of Manzar Imam. Besides the victims’ relatives, the party’s senators, MNAs, MPAs, members of the coordination committee and other workers attended the funeral. The mourners were wearing black armbands.

Leaders of different political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, the Awami National Party, the Pakistan Democratic Party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Sunni Tehreek and Jamiat-e-Ulema-i-Islam also attended the funeral.

Later, MQM leader Raza Haroon called on the government to arrest the killers. All political forces should unite against terrorism or extremists will take over the country, he said. “The terrorists are now targeting elected representatives but we will remain peaceful,” he added.

The slain MPA was laid to rest at the Shuhuda Graveyard in Azizabad while the bodies of his driver and security guards were taken to other graveyards in Orangi Town.

Across Sindh

In Hyderabad, a similar shut down was witnessed. Although the markets remain closed on Fridays, the protest call of the MQM affected the movement of transport and educational institutions.

A truck and two motorcycles were set ablaze while many roads and intersections were blocked. Two of Hyderabad’s four talukas, Qasimabad and rural, remained, however, unaffected. A mourning day was also observed in Hyderabad, Nawabshah and Mirpurkhas among other cities.

Return to normality

In the evening, routine activities were resumed partially as shopkeepers opened their businesses. Since January 13 (Sunday), the traders have been unable to work properly. “The whole week was spent in protests,” said All Karachi Tajir Ittehad chairman Atiq Mir referring to the protests staged by the Shia community, then the Pakistan Peoples Party workers and then after the murder of the MQM leader.

The transport will be back on the roads on Saturday, Karachi Transport Ittehad chairman Irshad Bukhari said.

With additional input from agencies

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2013.