MQM PEACEFUL RALLY IN KARACHI --- 9 August 1999 --- NEWS UPDATE

ALTAF HUSSAIN, FOUNDER AND LEADER OF THE MQM MONITORS MINUTE TO MINUTE ACTIVITIES OF THE MQM RALLY IN PAKISTAN FROM LONDON OVER THE TELEPHONE

BARBED WIRE PUT ALL OVER KARACHI BY THE POLICE TO DISRUPT THE MQM MASS RALLY

MQM Co-Ordination Committee's Deputy Convenor Senator Aftab Sheikh, Senator Nasreen Jalil, Parliamentary leader in Sindh Assembly Dr. Farooq Sattar and other MPAs are demonstrating in protest after the first phase of hunger strike.

MQM News Network
Monday, 9 August 1999

London Time 2 p.m.
The Members of MQM C-ordinatin Committee Senator Aftab Ahmed Sheikh, Senator Nasreen Jalil and Dr. Farooq Sattar presented the petition to Mr. Mamnoon Hussain, Gvernor Sindh, at the end of the Rally.


London Time 11.30 a.m.
Altaf Hussain, Founder Leader of the MQM started his speech. Details will follow:


London Time 11 a.m.
MQM leaders Dr Farooq Sattar, Senator Nasreen Jalil and Senator Aftab Ahmed Sheikh started delivering speeches.


STATE MACHINERY USED BY THE NAWAZ GOVERNMENT IN PAKISTAN TO SABOTAGE THE PEACEFUL RALLY OF MQM

London Time: 11 am.
Fifteen Coaches full of supporters of the MQM were stooped at Tool Plaza to prevent them from attending the Peaceful Protest Rally.

At Shoe Market Police detained children and stooped their parents who were going to attent the Rally.

Near Lucky Star Hotel at Saddar Karachi roads were blocked by the Police to prevent the supporters of the MQM to attend the Rally.

All the routes going to the Press Club are blocked and Police is seraching people who are following those routes.


London Time: 9.30 a..m.
Hundreds of thousands supporters coming to attend the peaceful rally of the MQM at Press Club Karachi were stopped at Sohrab Goth, Grumander and Hassan Square by the Police and other Law Enforcement Agencies. Several coaches, vans and cars were stopped and people were alighted and forcibly prevented.


London time: 8.25 a.m.
Police, Paramilitary Rangers and other law enforcement agencies are forcibly preventing the general public from attending the MQM rally. Special police contingents have been placed in the No-Go Areas of Landhi, Malir, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Lines Area and Liaquatabad to stop the public from reaching the Karachi Press Club.

Not even the press reporters are being allowed to reach the MQM Rally. In Nazimabad, Karachi, Police and other law enforcers stopped the press reporters of The News and Daily Dawn, (leading English newspapers of Pakistan). They were harassed and threatened.


London time: 7.20 a.m.
Police have cordoned off the entire area of Karachi Press Club where the MQM leaders, elected representatives, workers and supporters have gathered in large numbers to participate in the peaceful rally towards the Governor House.

Heavy contingents of Police and Paramilitary Rangers are patrolling the entire area to harass and threaten the participants of the rally.

In Karachi, the Governor House, the Sindh Assembly Building and the Sindh High Court is being heavily cordoned off to prevent the MQM peaceful rally from reaching these buildings. All the streets leading to these buildings are also being heavily patrolled by the Police, Paramilitary Rangers and other law enforcement agencies.


London time: 6.15 a.m.
First phase of peaceful protest campaign launched by the MQM against the brutalities committed against the Mohajirs by the Government of Nawaz Sharif ended in Karachi today at 10 a.m.

According to reports received here, the Authorities on the instruction of the Nawaz Sharif Government have blocked all the entrances to Karachi (i.e. Super Highway and National Highway) to stop the participants of the peaceful rally coming from Hyderabad and other urban centres of Sindh.

Heavy contingents of police and other law enforcement agencies have been deployed to prevent the MQM workers and supporters to reach the MQM Hunger Strike Camp at the Karachi Press Club.

Water tankers have been stationed at all the major highways and roads leading to Karachi. Indiscriminate raids and arrests of MQM workers and supporters were carried out all night in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and other urban centres of Sindh to harass and threaten the Mohajirs.

News update of the MQM rally will continue throughout the day.