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Ishtiaq slates PPP, SQI

mobs attack on '90'

KARACHI: Senator Ishtiaq Azher, convenor MQM coordination committee has strongly condemned the attack on the residence of MQM Chief Altaf Hussain at Azizabad, Karachi on Wednesday and termed it an worst example of state terrorism and political victimization.

Addressing the emergency press conference at Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, he alleged that in the afternoon at about 1.30 p.m. heavy contingent of Rangers and police surrounded '90' residence of MQM chief and later "armed terrorists" in at least 25 buses and over a dozen different vehicles, holding flags of Sindh Qaumi Ittehad (SQI) and PPP, led by Zafar Jhandair arrived and attacked at 90 and MPA Hostel.

They ransacked the furniture at the counter outside 90, tore notices affixed on notice board and even photographs of bodies of Nasir Hussain and Arif Hussain, brother and nephew of MQM chief.

They also made old member of MQM standing near counter, hostages at gun point and passed abusive remarks about MQM, Mohajirs and members of coordination committee.

He charged that Zafar Jhandair threatened members of MQM coordination committee to call off Thursday's strike otherwise he would come back and kill all members of MQM coordination committee after kidnapping them.

He further alleged that Jhandair also threatened that if he wanted to kill all the members immediately.

Senator accused that Rangers and police gave them full protection. He pointed out that police mobiles registration Nos. 586, 584 and 580 were present there besides police officials sitting in yellow cabs.

He held PPP government, Interior Minister Naseerullah Babar and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah directly responsible for this attack as it was committed under government protection, he alleged.

He said lives of all members of MQM coordination committee were in danger and if even minor loss to any of their lives was attempted, all the responsibility would be on "Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Interior Minister Naseerullah Babar, Governor Sindh Kamaluddin Azfar, Sindh Chief Minister Abdullah Shah, IG Sindh and DIG Karachi".

He said, unannounced restriction were imposed on MQM for holding public meetings and gathering, political activities, its members and supporters were being arrested and killed and now government wanted to usurp the right of strike.

He asked "if we do no call for strike then what should we do" as it was legal and democratic right.

He said to usurp the right of strike from MQM was meant to deprive Mohajirs of their democratic right.

He said telegrams were despatched to President Farooq Leghari, Jehangir Karamat COAs, Chief Justices of Supreme and Sindh High Courts in which the Senator requested them to take notice of murder threats and take prompt measures against armed assailants and get them arrested.

Shoaib Bukhari, deputy opposition leader, Ahsan Ahmed Hashmi candidate Senate polls, and Bashir Ahmed Farooqi were present there.-PPI