ALTAF HUSSAIN DEMANDS A HIGH-LEVEL COMMISSION OF
HIGH COURT JUDGES TO INVESTIGATE THE
MAYHEM IN SINDH PROVINCE

 

London – 2^nd January 2008

MQM Founder & Leader Mr. Altaf Hussain has appealed to President Pervez Musharraf, Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammad Mian Soomro, Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and Caretaker Chief Minister Sindh Dr Abdul Qadir Halipota to constitute a high level enquiry commission comprising of High Court Judges to investigate and compensate the losses as a result of the violence that erupted soon after the assassination of Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto on 27^th December 2007. In Karachi and Sindh armed miscreants looted and plundered shops, factories, banks, dwellings, vehicles and other properties and were also set alight. The mayhem caused death and injuries to scores of innocent citizens. He expressed these views while addressing the MQM Coordination Committee and various party wings at the MQM Head Office Nine Zero in Karachi.

Mr. Hussain said that the assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto occurred in Rawalpindi but under the guise of protesting against this sad incident of terrorism, looting of property, violence, arson and plunder started in Karachi and Sindh. Throughout Sindh, government and private properties were burnt, organizational offices of MQM, elections offices of Haq Parast candidates and offices of Haq Parast Nazims were set alight. In interior Sindh, along with MQM workers and Mohajir supporters, the Sindhi, Baloch, Panjabi, Pushtoon, Seraiki and other communities who have recently joined the MQM were targeted and tortured. Their homes were attacked and looted. In Karachi, thousands of private cars, buses and other vehicles were set alight, hundreds of shops and banks were broken into and looted and then burnt. More than two dozen national and international factories and industries were not only looted but also their employees were burnt alive. In different incidents more than 50 people were killed. No area of Karachi was safe as the shops, homes and properties were targeted, looted and then burnt. During attacks at home, the womenfolk were not only beaten but it is extremely sad that they were also manhandled and mistreated. Similarly womenfolk were also victims of manhandling at several bus stops and on the streets. These armed terrorist were allowed to terrorize the people at will and no one was there to stop them. Is this the way to mourn the martyrdom of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto that innocent citizens and their shops, factories, vehicles and other properties were looted and burnt; to burn to death innocent citizens; to loot and plunder the life savings of innocent citizens? He asserted that all these incidents are part of a well planned conspiracy and MQM workers and supporters and their properties were specifically targeted. Normally under such circumstances all vehicles are burnt but on 27^th December it was witnessed that vehicles of only a particular community were targeted.

Mr. Hussain said that the innocent citizens have suffered massive losses of property and lives and it is the responsibility of the Government to offer compensation to the victims. He demanded of the President Pervez Musharraf, Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammad Mian Soomro, Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and Caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh Dr Abdul Qadir Halipota to constitute a high level enquiry commission comprising of High Court Judges to investigate and compensate the losses as a result of the violence activities that erupted soon after the assassination of Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto on 27^th December 2007 in Karachi and Sindh whereby armed miscreants looted and plundered shops of citizens, factories, banks, dwellings, vehicles and other properties that were set alight and also several innocent citizens were killed. He also demanded to apprehend the terrorists involved in the violent activities and to award them exemplary punishment. He asked the authorities to take strict action against those police and administration officials who demonstrated negligence towards providing security to life and property of citizens. Mr Hussain instructed the MQM Coordination Committee to establish complaint centers in Karachi and Sindh to collect full information and loses of loot, plunder and violence. He appealed to the affected citizens to immediately submit the report of their losses in these complaint centers so that the Government can be informed and their losses compensated. Mr. Hussain said that we want peace and therefore despite all the terrorist activities, loot and plunder we appeal to our workers and supporters to observe patience so as to defeat those who are conspiring to turn this terrorism into ethnic riots, pit people against each other; and to defeat all such conspiracies. He said that if we had not demonstrated patience and restraint a large scale ethnic riots would have erupted but we defeated this conspiracy through patience and restraint.

Mr Hussain said that this is a humanitarian issue therefore all the other political and religious parties should also raise their voice against the loot and plunder of innocent citizens and the acts of terrorism. Why the organizations who talk about human rights and the “civil society” kept silent over these incidents, he asked. He appealed to the human rights organizations to send their teams to the affected areas to assess the extent the losses and damages. Mr. Hussain also expressed his sympathies with the affected citizens, traders, industrialists and shopkeepers. He appealed to the MQM workers and office bearers to keep calm and to observe patience and restraint. He appealed to the people of Sindh to demonstrate their unity as they have in the past and defeat all the conspiracies of the perpetrators.
 

ALTAF HUSSAIN SPEAKS WITH CHAUDHRY SHUJAAT HUSSAIN
AND PERVEZ ELAHI OVER THE TELEPHONE

London – 2^nd January 2008

MQM Founder & Leader Mr. Altaf Hussain made contact with PML Leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and former Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi over the phone and discussed the loss of property and lives of innocent citizens in Karachi and Sindh after the assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. While discussing with them separately, Mr. Hussain informed them that under the guise of protest over the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, a particular community was targeted and their banks, factories, mills, offices, homes and shops were looted and set alight. Citizens were deprived of their life savings, hundreds of vehicles burnt, innocent civilians were killed, and womenfolk returning home from work were kidnapped and mistreated. Mr. Altaf Hussain said that these incidents are highly condemnable. Mr. Hussain also told that the MQM did not reacted to any activity of these miscreants and observed total patience and restraint so as to defeat the conspiracy of instigating ethnic riots in Sindh, particularly Karachi. He requested the leadership of PML to express sympathy and unity with the affected people of Sindh and Karachi so as they don’t feel isolated. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi expressed their heartfelt sympathies over the sever loss of property and lives of the people of Sindh and Karachi and deplored the terrorist activities of loot, plunder and arson. They said that the PML stands with the affected people of Sindh.