SIEGE AND HEAVY UNPROVOKED AND INDISCRIMINATE FIRING OF POLICE AT THE HEAD OFFICE OF THE MQM IN KARACHI

12 May 1999
London

Today at around 11.30 a.m., the personnel of police attacked the Nine Zero, Head Office of the MQM. They siege the entire area resorted to heavy unprovoked and indiscriminate firing to intimidate and terrify the local residents, who are predominantly Mohajir. Gunshots were fired at the second and third floor of the houses in and around Nine Zero in Azizabad, Karachi. It is reported that personnel of police were firing from the top of police mobiles with the G-3 rifles and other automatic arms. Due to the intensity of the firing, the area residents are terrified and harassed fearing their lives in danger. Particularly, the women and children are traumatised and in a state of shock at this sudden and heavy attack of the law enforcers at Nine Zero and the area within its vicinity.

Later at around 12.15 p.m., a police spokesman called the MQM Head Office and abused Mr. Hassan Musanna Alvi, MNA and Member of Co-ordination Committee of MQM. The police officers threatened Mr. Alvi of dire consequences and accused him of sheltering MQM workers. The police spokesman also threatened Mr. Alvi that shortly a raid will be conducted at Nine Zero and all those present will be taught a lesson.

Earlier on 11 May 1999, at around 7 p.m., the personnel of Azizabad Police Station led by the notorious police office SHO Ghazanfar Kazmi stopped the car of Sheikh Liaquat Hussain (MNA, Parliamentary Leader of the MQM in the National Assembly, Member of the MQM Co-ordination Committee and the President of Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation). When Mr. Sheikh Liaquat Hussain introduced himself and asked why his car has been stopped the SHO Ghazanfar Kazmi started abusing him. SHO Ghazanfar Kazmi threatened Sheikh Liaquat Hussain to immediately stop all his political and social activities otherwise be prepared to face the dire consequences.

The attack at MQM Head Office is the continuation of the policy of Nawaz Sharif Government to crush the MQM through the use of State force. Furthermore, the use of heavy ammunition in a residential area is a clear indication of the ulterior motives of the Administration. This attack is aimed to forcible and unlawfully shut down the MQM Head Office so that the entire Mohajir Nation is derived of its voice and representation not only in the Senate of Pakistan, National Assembly of Pakistan and Provincial Assembly of Sindh and other walks of life, through repression and oppression.