London – 12 September 2000
Mr Altaf Hussain, Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), has strongly condemned the tragic incident in which the personnel of Central Board of Revenue and army officers humiliated a local trader of the jeweller market, Haji Mohammad Suleman Memon, threat to rip his beard; and the shelling and indiscriminate firing upon the peaceful traders and the public in Hyderabad. He said that this shameful act once again proves that the Punjabi Establishment has made Sindh as its colony and they consider Karachi and Hyderabad as conquered territory where the army officers have been provided with open license to oppress, loot and plunder. He said that yesterday a CBR office Ashok Kumar accompanied by army officers arrived at the Jeweller Palace and met with its owner Haji Mohammad Suleman Memon at Tilak Chari in Hyderabad. They demanded for the return of the sales tax survey forms. Haji Mohammad Suleman Memon explained the reason of not being able to fill up the forms. But the CBR officer Ashok Kumar in the presence of the army officers grabbed his beard and threatened that he will rip his beard and would drag him along the streets. The CBR team and the army officers also brutally manhandled Haji Mohammad Suleman Memon and the workers present at the shop. As a result, the shopkeepers, traders and the public started protesting at the behaviour of the CBR and army officers. The personnel of army, rangers and police started indiscriminate firing and shelling upon the protesting shopkeepers, traders and the public and their homes. Mr Hussain termed this sad and tragic incident as the continuation of the oppression upon the people of Sindh province. He said that the army operation against the urban cities of Sindh province is continuing for the past nine years and the Punjabi Establishment considers the Sindh province as its colony and an occupied territory. They openly loot, plunder and oppress the people of Sindh. He said that the public reaction on the humiliating behaviour of the CBR and army officers with Haji Mohammad Suleman Memon was natural. Similar reactions can be witnessed in other cities of the country but why the army officers do not open indiscriminate fire upon the protestors of those areas? Despite this double standard it is claimed that there is no discrimination. He said that primarily, the army officers should have taken action against Ashok Kumar for misbehaving with Haji Suleman Memon and should have calmed down the public instead they open indiscriminate fire and shelling upon the peaceful protestors and their homes.
Mr Hussain said that on the one hand the military government raises the slogan of Jihad for Kashmir and Islam, whereas on the other hand, fellow citizens, particularly a pious Muslim, is being threatened of having his beard ripped and to drag him down the street by his beard. In addition, those who peacefully protest against such shameful act are targeted with indiscriminate firing and shelling. He asked what kind of jihad are the army officers performing by opening fire upon fellow citizens? He said that the level of discrimination by the army officers against the people of the urban and rural Sindh has reached such a limit that all the army officers have now become psychiatric patients. Therefore, it is now essential that all the army personnel are immediately removed from their positions in Sindh and sent to the psychiatric hospitals for treatment. He said that there is a limit to tolerance. The high command of the army and the Establishment should not consider themselves as God. He said that if we now give out a call for peaceful protest against this oppression then allegations of “terrorism” will be levelled against the MQM by the Punjabi Establishment and its agents.
Mr Hussain demanded that the continued oppression against the rural and urban people of Sindh province must stop forthwith. Otherwise if the people decide to come out on the streets to protest against these atrocities then the responsibility will be of the high command of the army and General Parvez Musharraf. He also demanded that the CBR officer Ashok Kumar and the army officers accompanying him should be severely punished. Court martial should be carried out of the army officers involved in opening fire upon the public. In addition, General Parvez Musharraf, his cabinet and the members of the National Security Council should ask for forgiveness from the people of Hyderabad. Addressing the people of Hyderabad, Mr Hussain expressed his sadness and distress over this incident. He appealed to the people of the rural and urban Sindh to keep united and be mentally prepared to struggle against this barbarism and oppression and the act of making Sindh as a colony of Punjab.