Sindh

Extra-judicially killed workers aren't flies: MQM demands Nawaz apologise to people of Karachi

MQM condemns premier's statement which was akin to making a mockery of extra-judicially killed people

Web Desk/rabia Ali June 12, 2015

MQM Rabita committee says if their grievances are not reconciled, they had no other option but to stage strikes. PHOTO: MQM

KARACHI: Lashing out at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s comment about frequent strikes in Karachi, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Friday demanded an apology from the premier to the people living in the megalopolis.

"Nawaz Sharif considers the deaths of poor people in the city equal to flies. He should apologise to the people for calling them flies that and insulting them," Hussain said while addressing a press conference at the Khursheed Begum Secretariat on Friday night.

Nawaz, while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Hub Oil Refinery in Karachi, said that strikes have become so frequent in the megalopolis that even if a ‘fly dies, the city shuts down.’

Hussain said the premier should be careful while choosing his words, but quickly added that they were not against Nawaz.

A subsequent statement from the MQM Coordination Committee strongly condemned the prime minister’s statement. They added that Karachiites had no interest in calling strikes, but only protested for their rights.

They said that law enforcement agencies (LEAs), including police and Rangers, kept arresting MQM workers and then killing them extra-judicially. The statement further said it was unfortunate that instead of taking notice of the extra-judicial killings, the prime minister was making fun of the issue.

The committee said that if nobody, including federal, provincial governments and security agencies bother to reconcile MQM’s grievances then it had nothing but to call for a strike.

Sindh governor can't do anything

The party leader also lamented that the Sindh governor could not do anything.

"If I was the governor, I would have resigned."

Rangers report

Regarding the Rangers report, Hussain said that weapons are bought from stolen or illegal money.

"It should also be investigated how these weapons reach the city. Weapons are transported to Karachi by passing through all the security check posts."

COMMENTS (7)

Kammiqazi | 9 years ago | Reply @S.R.H.Hshmi Bravo for very thorough and on the spot analysis of the situation.

S.R.H. Hashmi | 9 years ago | Reply While addressing the inauguration ceremony of Hub Oil Refinery in Karachi, Nawaz Sharif said that strikes have become so frequent in the megapolis that even if a Makhkhi (house fly) dies, the city shuts down. This was an obvious reference to strikes by MQM on the extra-judicial killing of their workers. As such, the statement is cruel and offensive in the extreme, apart from being undiplomatic. But of course, Nawaz Sharif has never been much of a diplomat and Ardeshir Cowasjee often referred to him as an iron-monger turned politician. However, even iron-mongers are known to display humanity and display due regard for the feeling of others, but not this one, and his years in Saudi palaces have taken his arrogance to new heights, making him feel the masses to be no more than flies. And the way the killing of fourteen people and wounding of ninety others through straight shooting by police at the peaceful gathering at Dr. Tahirul Qadri’s secretariat has been hushed up clearly indicates that he does no discriminate between people, and treats them all with equal contempt, irrespective of whether they belonged to Karachi, Lahore or indeed any other place in Pakistan. Obviously, Nawaz Sharif does not fear God, or else he would not have said and done things that he does to the suffering masses of Pakistan. The only people he feared belonged to the ‘booted’ community who twice ended his tenure prematurely, though he himself provided a cause for it. And during Dr. Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan’s dharnas in Islamabad, and army chief’s contact with the two leaders, he looked weak, meek and miserable and vulnerable. However, with a rapport developed between him and the army chief, and frequent get-togethers of the two, even fear from that quarter is gone, and Nawaz Sharif has become his old self again. MQM leaders have asked, and not without justification, for Nawaz Sharif to apologize over his remark. It would be interesting to see whether Nawaz Sharif can display even this minimum level of decency. However, the prognosis is very poor. Karachi

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Kammiqazi | 9 years ago | Reply @Muhajir Karachiite I see, you think MQM Haqiqi represent Karachi.

straightshooter | 9 years ago | Reply Thanks to this guy, and this guy alone, live-links are a thing of the past for news channels. Learn to put a sock in it, will you?

Acorn Guts | 9 years ago | Reply We all know that's not what Mr. Shareef meant. Enough of negativity from MQM. I think it's time they acted mature for their own sake.

Muhajir Karachiite | 9 years ago | Reply MQM represents neither Karachiites nor Muhajirs.

upchuck | 9 years ago | Reply Two of the major Democratic leaders in Pakistan don't even live in Pakistan ... and that doesn't seem to bother anyone? Your suppose to be a stable Democratic society.

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