TERRORISTS, FUNDAMENTALISTS AND JIHADI ELEMENTS HAVE AGAIN STARTED KILLINGS UNDER THE GARB OF RELIGION - ALTAF HUSSAIN

London-22 February 2003
Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has severely condemned the slaying of eight and wounding scores of Shiite Muslims by firing at Mehdi Imam Bargah in Al-Falah Society, Malir, Karachi. He said that fundamentalist elements have, once again, started killing innocent Muslims under the pretext of Jihad.  He appealed to the peace-loving people to remain vigilant and keep their eyes on the terrorist outfits, fundamentalists, Jihadi groups, miscreants and anti-social elements and those who want to disturb peace under the garb of religion.

Mr Altaf Hussain said that it is the time when country needs harmony, understanding, brotherhood, respect for each other and protect each other. He further appealed to the people of different sects and school of thoughts particularly Shiite and Sunni Ulemas (scholars) to make Vigilant Committees comprising of elderly people in their localities to keep vigilance on the culprits who wish to create sectarian killings, riots, murder and mayhem before and during the sacred month of Muharram-ul-Haram.

Mr Altaf Hussain expressed his deepest and most profound condolence to the family members of the deceased and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the souls of the dead in  “Janant-ul-Firdaus” and for the speedy recovery of the wounded. He called upon the people to remain calm and exercise total restraints to defeat the conspiracies of the anti-state and anti-peace elements who are acting to destabilise the government on the behest of their foreign paymasters. He stated that it is the common knowledge that neither Shiites desire to confront Sunnis nor do the Sunnis ever wish to confront Shiites, everyone want to live in peace and harmony. He further added that the people have not yet come out of the mourning on the martyrdom of Mr Khalid-bin-Waleed whose contributions cannot be forgotten for sectarian harmony and the people of Sindh generally and Karachi particularly have been subjected to yet more Martyrdoms.

Mr Altaf Hussain demanded of the Government to institute an Independent Inquiry comprising of the High Court Judges to unfold the conspiracies behind these killings and not only it brings the culprits to book but also sentence exemplary punishment to the perpetrators.