Multitude attend Imran Farooq’s funeral

Large contingent of MQM leaders accompanied body from London’s Heathrow airport.

KARACHI:

Hundreds of thousands of mourners converged at the Jinnah ground in Azizabad on Saturday to pay their last respects to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) convener Dr Imran Farooq amidst heavy security.

Farooq’s remains were buried at the Shuhada (martyrs) graveyard in Yaseenabad.

Earlier, Farooq’s body arrived at the Jinnah International Airport via a PIA flight at 10:15 am and was received by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and Interior Minister Rehman Malik. A large contingent of MQM leaders, including Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar, MNA Haider Abbas Rizvi and Mustafa Kamal, former nazim Karachi, had accompanied the body from London’s Heathrow airport. Farooq’s widow Shumaila Imran, their two children and other family members also arrived along with the body.

There was a complete lock-down in the city as the coffin, wrapped in MQM colours in a Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation ambulance, made its way to Dr Farooq’s residence in Sharifabad. The funeral convoy included at least 30 security vans and an armoured personnel carrier. Two helicopters also hovered above the route of the funeral convoy. Around 6,000 Rangers and police personnel were on duty.

Prominent among those who attended the funeral included Pakistan Peoples Party’s Pir Mazharul Haq, Sunni Tehreek’s Shakeel Qadri, Senator Dr Syed Abdul Khaliq Pirzada and UAE businessman Sohail al Zarouni. The governor and interior minister did not attend the funeral.

Clerics from all sects also attended the funeral prayers, including Maulana Taufiqur Najafi, Maulana Asad Thanvi, Maulana Syed Azhar Hussain Naqvi, Maulana Ameen Abdullah, Maulana Yusuf Hussaini, Allama Azhar Hussain Naqvi, Ameer Abul Farooq and Maulana Ferozuddin Rehmani.

As soon as Dr Farooq’s body arrived at the ground where his funeral prayers were offered, party activists shouted full-throated slogans: ‘Imran teray khoon say, Inqilaab ayega’ (Your blood will spark a revolution).

Maulana Thanvi led the funeral prayers.

At the Yaseenabad graveyard, Dr Sattar announced that Dr Farooq’s soyem would take place between Zuhr and Isha prayers on Sunday.

According to a press release issued from Nine Zero, MQM chief Altaf Hussain commended his workers for excellent arrangements for Dr Farooq’s funeral. He spoke with members of the coordination committee after the burial and paid tribute to his slain comrade.

“He will forever remain alive in my heart and the hearts of workers and supporters of MQM and his blood will herald a revolution of the poor and middle class people in the country,” Hussain said.

Meanwhile, Sabzwari said the party had complete confidence in the Scotland Yard’s investigations into Farooq’s murder.

“Unlike our law-enforcement authorities, they have a good track record of solving such cases. We are looking forward to their report,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2010.