On strike: MQM mourns deaths of seven party workers
Party supporters staged an eight-hour sit-in outside CM House.
The chief minister's spokesperson said that CM Qaim Ali Shah has taken notice of the killings and has announced to form a judicial commission to investigate the incidents. PHOTO: ONLINE
KARACHI:
The city wore a deserted look on Sunday by virtue of the strike call by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to protest the killings of its workers. The party called off their strike call for Monday, after their demand for a judicial commission to investigate the killings was accepted by the government.
On Saturday, Faraz Alam, a worker of the MQM, was killed while in custody of the investigation wing of the Khokhrapar police station. A few hours after his killing, the bodies of the three more MQM workers - Naeem Jafri, Jafar Abbas Jafri and Rehan Jafri, were found from the outskirts of the city near Mochko. Hardly a few hours later, two doctors affiliated with the party - Dr Ali Akbar and Dr Yawer Hussain - were shot dead inside their clinics located at different locations in Paposh Nagar. Another party worker, Abdul Rauf, was shot dead at his mobile phone shop in Gulberg.
Following the killings, MQM workers and supporters staged a sit-in outside the CM House, along with the bodies of four of the deceased, Faraz Alam, Abdul Rauf, Dr Ali Akbar and Rehan Jafri. Sporting black armbands as a symbol of their grief, family members of the victims, party workers and leaders, including Haider Abbas Rizvi, Amir Khan and Wasey Jalil, shouted slogans against the government and the law enforcement agencies.
Funeral prayers
The funeral prayers for the four slain party workers were offered at Jinnah Ground while prayers for the other three, Dr Yawer, Naeem Jafri and Jafar Abbas, were offered at Rizvia Imambargah. The victims were later laid to rest in different graveyards.
Police Investigations
Faraz Alam was arrested by the Korangi Industrial Area (KIA) SHO Aftab Rind for allegedly possessing an illegal weapon. He was later handed over to the Khokhrapar police station's investigation wing chief inspector Ali Abbasi after he was allegedly found to be involved in four cases of target killings in Khokhrapar.
The four-member investigation team, headed by District East police chief DIG Munir Shaikh, has included KIA SHO Aftab Rind in the investigation. The investigation wing's chief inspector, Ali Abbasi, has been suspended. "An inquiry is being conducted and the committee will submit a report within three days. Until then, we cannot say anything for sure," said the Karachi police spokesperson, inspector Atiq Shaikh.
Judicial commission
The chief minister's spokesperson said that CM Qaim Ali Shah has taken notice of the killings and has announced to form a judicial commission to investigate the incidents.
What the MQM says
"We had decided to extend the day of mourning till today (Monday) as no one from the government, including the CM, had responded to our calls despite the eight hour-long sit-in outside the CM House," said party leader Wasay Jalil, while speaking to The Express Tribune. "We even heard about the judicial commission and the inquiry committee through the media," he said, adding that they will support the formation of an independent judicial commission.
Jalil clarified that the MQM had only taken back their call for a shutter-down strike on Monday and that a day of mourning will still be observed on the day.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2015.
The city wore a deserted look on Sunday by virtue of the strike call by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to protest the killings of its workers. The party called off their strike call for Monday, after their demand for a judicial commission to investigate the killings was accepted by the government.
On Saturday, Faraz Alam, a worker of the MQM, was killed while in custody of the investigation wing of the Khokhrapar police station. A few hours after his killing, the bodies of the three more MQM workers - Naeem Jafri, Jafar Abbas Jafri and Rehan Jafri, were found from the outskirts of the city near Mochko. Hardly a few hours later, two doctors affiliated with the party - Dr Ali Akbar and Dr Yawer Hussain - were shot dead inside their clinics located at different locations in Paposh Nagar. Another party worker, Abdul Rauf, was shot dead at his mobile phone shop in Gulberg.
Following the killings, MQM workers and supporters staged a sit-in outside the CM House, along with the bodies of four of the deceased, Faraz Alam, Abdul Rauf, Dr Ali Akbar and Rehan Jafri. Sporting black armbands as a symbol of their grief, family members of the victims, party workers and leaders, including Haider Abbas Rizvi, Amir Khan and Wasey Jalil, shouted slogans against the government and the law enforcement agencies.
Funeral prayers
The funeral prayers for the four slain party workers were offered at Jinnah Ground while prayers for the other three, Dr Yawer, Naeem Jafri and Jafar Abbas, were offered at Rizvia Imambargah. The victims were later laid to rest in different graveyards.
Police Investigations
Faraz Alam was arrested by the Korangi Industrial Area (KIA) SHO Aftab Rind for allegedly possessing an illegal weapon. He was later handed over to the Khokhrapar police station's investigation wing chief inspector Ali Abbasi after he was allegedly found to be involved in four cases of target killings in Khokhrapar.
The four-member investigation team, headed by District East police chief DIG Munir Shaikh, has included KIA SHO Aftab Rind in the investigation. The investigation wing's chief inspector, Ali Abbasi, has been suspended. "An inquiry is being conducted and the committee will submit a report within three days. Until then, we cannot say anything for sure," said the Karachi police spokesperson, inspector Atiq Shaikh.
Judicial commission
The chief minister's spokesperson said that CM Qaim Ali Shah has taken notice of the killings and has announced to form a judicial commission to investigate the incidents.
What the MQM says
"We had decided to extend the day of mourning till today (Monday) as no one from the government, including the CM, had responded to our calls despite the eight hour-long sit-in outside the CM House," said party leader Wasay Jalil, while speaking to The Express Tribune. "We even heard about the judicial commission and the inquiry committee through the media," he said, adding that they will support the formation of an independent judicial commission.
Jalil clarified that the MQM had only taken back their call for a shutter-down strike on Monday and that a day of mourning will still be observed on the day.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2015.