Express News screengrab of the MQM press conference.
He was addressing an emergency press conference held by the party on Thursday after bodies of four of its workers, whose bodies were found on April 30 in the Malir Memon Goth area of Karachi, were identified by their family members.
The deceased were identified as Ali Haider, Sameet, Salman Mushtaq and Faizan Uddin. Siddiqui added that two party workers, Sohaib and Ziaur Rehman who were picked up with the four deceased, were still missing.
He informed the media that of the nine workers arrested, six had been missing until Thursday, when four of the missing had been identified among the four deceased.
“We are concerned about the lives of these two workers,” he said. He appealed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, Chief Minister Sindh and Governor Sindh to take measures for the security of MQM party workers who were still missing.
Siddiqui said that people have voluntarily started closing their shops in the city and assured that the day of mourning will be absolutely peaceful.
“We have filed petitions in courts every time one of our worker is arrested. The courts have, however, failed to provide justice,” Siddiqui said.
Businesses and public transport in Karachi closed/stayed off the roads soon after the announcement.
Karachi Transport Union President Irshad Bukhari said that members of his association would not take the risk to run their transport, while All Karachi Traders Union President Atiq Mir said markets and shops would be closed.
Private Schools Management Association also announced that schools would be off on Friday.
Altaf Hussain condemns the murders
MQM Chief Altaf Hussain, later on Thursday condemned the extra-judicial murders and termed them as a "barbaric act".
He said: "We have repeatedly raised voice over the raids, abductions and torture on MQM workers carried out by the death squads of police and other law enforcement agencies."
"They turned a deaf ear to our pleas and protests and they did not take notice of the killings. Judiciary also did not take any suo moto action on the killings," he added.
Tense situation
After the announcement businesses started closing down and there were incidents of aerial firing in several areas of the city. Public transport had also ceased operation in the city.
IG Sindh Iqbal Mahmood alerted the police in the city and ordered them to arrest anyone who was forcefully closing down businesses in the area.
A similar situation was observed in Hyderabad, Express News reported. Unknown individuals forcefully closed down businesses in various areas of the city.
Additionally, an investigating committee has been formed which will be led by AIG Karachi Shahid Hayat.
#MQM workers arrested from Country Club apartment,Gulistan-e-Jouhar #Karachi, their dead bodies found Memon Goth Malir.@Mustafa_Qadri @hrw
— Mustafa Azizabadi (@azizabadi) May 1, 2014
When I watch people stranded at Petrol Pumps in #Karachi on days like this.......
— Norbert Almeida (@norbalm) May 1, 2014
Unfollowed some 'human right activists' - Never said a word abt brutal killings&abdctns of #MQM wrkrs but are all worked up on 'YoumeSoug'
— Saman Jafriسمن جعفری (@SsamanJay) May 1, 2014
Condemn the killing of MQM worker, but shock to see Karachi city was terrorized & forcefully shut down within few hours by armed hooligans.
— Naz Baloch (@NazBaloch_) May 1, 2014
COMMENTS (33)
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Every one is talking about business and shop, no one is interested in human life. Rest of Pakistan needs just revenues from this city and they show total indifference towards or even misinterpret the continuing killings for three decades. Are Karachiites Pakistani ?
Volunteer shut down of business they say? I was a witness to the so-called 'volunteer' shut down at Gulshan-e-Iqbal yesterday in broad daylight. These volunteer acts are among the main reasons why Karachiites are getting more and more fed up of this party.
You reap what you sow.. Haterad leads to haterad.. Love and tolerance leads to peace and serenity..
These extra judicial killings are just increasing the support of MQM all over Pakistan. Now I will support MQM too.
Karachi Shehr kisi kay Baap ka nahi,no one has the right to make people close their businesses.Kill and dump is wrong and should be taken up in the Supreme Court or the Sindh Assembly,which,unfortunately,The Na Maloom Afraad is part of so enough with the crocodile tears,we want our city back!!
Why do we have to suffer your mourning? do it at your homes and leave 20 million people to earn their living? you do not own this city!!! terrorising others to shut down shops in broad daylight at gun point in zamzama today i am a witness to that! so please stop this drama of mourning.
@Ahmed-Karachi: Era of peace? Your era of peace is defined as time when there are no hartals, but killings, robberies, car and mobile snatching, extortion and kidnappings can continue happening! Double standard!
Height of Indifference or perhaps hatred! MQM men murdered by state agencies are taken as if they weren't humans. What options MQM is left with? Fed and Provincial govts are directly involved in orchestrating this bloodshed in Karachi. Chalo chalo, Dubai chalo. This country belongs to Punjabis and feudals!
After some peaceful weeks blooming with so much hope, the peace gets broken up and shattered into pieces pulling down our business shutters and once again we are where we have been for a very very long time, absolutely unbelievably in a totally hopeless spiral of violence and counter violence of never ending despair and destruction during which a whole generation was born into and now giving birth to another generation. What we really need to do is have prayer day - special specific prayer for peace and prosperity for pakistan - one 9am to 5pm prayers day every month forever!!
How can they shut down the entire city!
There should be a flag march on such days to counter the MQM closing down the city. Where are these "brave rangers"? Are they just getting fat? Or can they come out that there will be no strike , come what may!
People of Karachi are not going to buy this theory of voluntarily closures of shops. Everyone knew this is done by force, firing and coercion. The party have lost the street power, otherwise they could have done a street protest. No one supports the party now.
MQM is reaping what it has sown. Hatred begets hatred. Respect is commanded and cannot be demanded. MQM have lost the heart and minds of people of Karachi.
Why another forced closures of shops and business. The more such anti people antics-the more people will hate MQM. No wonder MQM is history in Karachi. Only a few thousand MQM workers are seen in their dharnas, this is the reason they are afraid to do a dharna as no one will turn in.
@Ahmed --Karachi...you want continuous killing of MQM workers by uniformed personal already petition of enforced disappearance lying in supreme court and chief justice taking no notice ...MQM is justified in calling a shut down
@ABKhan: Shame on you rather than being a human condemned this kind of inhuman brutal acts by law enforcement agencies. God for bid someday you have to suffer a life of your loved ones like this then we talk.
@Naz Baloch - yeh as if you care. If they were from TTP, I am sure you would have done something. pathertic....
what they did to others they got the same treatment....
Can MQM announce "Make everyone go-to-school day" or "stop corruption day" or "make city safe day"..
Noo....MQM has lost it altogether.
I fail to understand their point. They're the ones who have lost huge number of supporters because of these strike calls, which I am sure they are aware of after this election. They know now what the majority think of them. They're crying foul play in this operation, yet they join the government. In the last 12 years, they've been in government for almost all of the time, including the governor, yet Karachi is the same without any normal metropole city's resources. What are they doing? Just because of this so-called strike, tomorrow minimum of 40,000 families of wage earners will go to sleep without proper food. They should seriously consider their tactics.
On the one hand they say that traders and shopkeepers have voluntarily closed their shops on the other hand the gun totting workers threaten and force the closure of all businesses. Are these the stalk holders of the city or the hostage takers of the city? So this shows how patriotic these people are when even the matric board exams have to be postponed. I am sure each and every karachite irrespect of which language they speak, will join in mourning the deaths of these poor workers, only if the call is given to get together in the evening and do not disturb the day to day work of the people.
justice is not served in Pakistan you have to take it
"Siddiqui said that people have voluntarily started closing their shops in the city..."
What a shameful lie!
Another day off!!!! Great!!!. Why dont we have some other type of mourning???
They are not unknown, they are known to everbody.
Now a MQM supportor but If they are criminals, send them to jail.. send them to court.. this is INJUSTICE