Action and reaction: Streets deserted after MPA’s killing

MQM announces three-day mourning period, businesses to remain closed today.

KARACHI:

Panic spread rapidly across the city just minutes after the news of the killing of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmaker Sajid Qureshi and his son, Waqas Qureshi, hit the airwaves on Friday. 

The sight of vehicles became scarce on the usually clogged arteries of Karachi. The petrol pumps and CNG stations were a different story though - the rush outside them swelled as people jostled with one another, hoping to fill up their vehicles’ tanks ahead of MQM’s three-day mourning call. “You can’t shut the pump right now! I fill up my motorcycle’s tank first!” yelled an angry man who had brought his vehicle to a pump situated on Korangi Road. The frazzled staff tried to pacify him but other people who were waiting in line surged forward and started protesting vociferously as well. Similar scenes were witnessed at other pumps located along the road.

Shutters also came sliding down in small markets across the city as unidentified men came out onto the roads and fired rounds into the air. At least seven vehicles were set on fire in Korangi, Malir, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Nazimabad.



Nasir, who owns a shop in Gulberg, packed up and left for home even before the sound of gunfire filled the air. “I care for my life more than my work. I cannot risk my life just to run my shop in these horrible circumstances.”

After fear gripped the city, law enforcers were put on high alert. More policemen were deployed on the roads so that snap checks could be done more thoroughly. The police also sprang into action to apprehend the suspects who gunned down the MPA - they conducted search operations in Khandu Goth, Mujahid Colony and their surrounding areas, reportedly arresting a few men.

But the fear and trouble wasn’t only circumscribed to Karachi: following the killing of the MPA, unidentified armed men also stirred up trouble in Hyderabad. As stray bullets flew across the air, three men were hit and injured. A jeep was also set on fire near Hyderabad’s Tower Market.

Closing shop

All Karachi Tajir Ittehad - an alliance of more than 500 markets across the city - has decided to keep businesses closed on Saturday (today) following MQM’s call for strike. While talking to The Express Tribune, the alliance’s chairperson, Atiq Mir, said, “It is unlikely that MQM will give a go-ahead to traders to open their businesses later on in the day.” He added that the closure of businesses from Friday afternoon to Saturday could cause a loss totaling a whopping Rs5 billion. Karachi Transport Ittehad had also decided to keep the public transport off the road on Saturday.

The Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sindh Bus Owners Association have also announced that they will back the strike call as have traders in Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas and Tando Allahyar.

Papers postponed

In the aftermath of MQM’s three-day mourning call, the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi and Sindh Board of Technical education decided to postpone all exams scheduled for Saturday.

Karachi University also postponed its semester exams scheduled for Friday evening. The university, as well as the Federal Urdu University of Arts Sciences and Technology have also rescheduled papers which were to be held on Saturday (today).

Decision withheld

MQM also decided to postpone the announcement of the results of the nationwide referendum it held to decide whether the party should join the Sindh government on not. Preparations for the press conference scheduled to be held at Nine Zero were underway when the news of the lawmaker spread like wildfire.

“We had everything compiled and ready but this sad incident compelled us to postpone the announcement of the results. It’s just not the appropriate time for this,” said Nasir Jamal, the MQM coordination committee’s deputy convener.

Meanwhile, MQM lawmakers walked out of the National Assembly’s ongoing session in Islamabad after they heard about the incident.

Slain MQM MPA had been with the party for over 25 years

Sajid Qureshi, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmaker who was gunned down on Friday, had joined the party back in 1986 and was a businessman by profession.

He was elected MPA from PS-103 constituency after securing 40,595 votes.

Qureshi was also a member of MQM’s residence committee in North Nazimabad. His youngest brother, Zahid Qureshi, had also served as an MQM lawmaker back in 1997.

His brother-in-law, MPA Khalid Bin Waleed, was also killed in a targeted attack a few years ago.

Qureshi is the third MQM MPA to have been killed in the city this year. The deputy convener of the party’s Coordination Committee, Nasir Jamal, said, “Like the two other slain MQM lawmakers, Sajid Qureshi was a very down-to-earth person -he was among those who became a statement of honesty and righteousness within their communities.”

Jamal then lashed out at the law enforcement agencies for failing to curb killings in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2013.