THREE MQM WORKERS RUTHLESSLY MURDERED BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN A COMMANDO STYLE OPERATION ON THE UNIT OFFICE OF MQM AT LYARI, KARACHI

Karachi: September 1, 1998

Once again with profound grief and shock we write to inform you of the brutal murder of three young workers of our party by the Government Agencies on 31 August 1998, at Lyari, Karachi, Pakistan. This horrific act of killing of Mohajir youth, the largest ethnic minority in Pakistan, is in continuation of the persistent murders of MQM workers, supporters and their relatives since the commencement of the Army Operation in June 1992.

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) is the third largest political party in Pakistan and the second largest in the province of Sindh. Since 1988, MQM has contested all the General Elections held in the country and have returned victorious as the third largest political party in all these elections.

After the General Elections of 1997, MQM entered into a coalition with the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) both at the federal as well as the provincial level. Since February 1997, more than 220 of our workers have been brutally murdered by the Law Enforcement Agencies and their sponsored terrorists, the "Haqiqis" and the "BACK". Most recently on 12 August 1998, the Government Agencies shockingly murdered ten of our workers in the North Nazimabad Massacre.

On 26 August 1998, MQM came out of the coalition with the ruling PML in protest over the continuing murders, raids and arrests of its innocent workers, supporters and their relatives.

The details of the recent killings Took place on 31 August 1998, at about 10 p.m., at Lyari, Karachi. These ruthless murders were carried out by trained killers in a commando like operation. According to DAWN, a leading English daily, of August 31, 1998:

"Witnesses said a group of men had gathered at the unit office of the Muttahida Quami Movement near Azeem Plaza, on Badshahi Road, in Osmanabad. Suddenly a white Charade, whose number could not be noted by anyone, appeared. Its occupants showered the crowd with volleys of automatic gunfire. The neighbourhood reverberated with the sound of gunfire and people started running for cover. When things settled down three men were found dead and three others were injured."

The fact that a city so heavily occupied by the Paramilitary Rangers and other law enforcement agencies, an incident like this and that of 12 August 1998, could have only been possible with the active approval and consent of these Agencies. The stature, height and the physical appearance of the killers matched with those who had attacked and murdered 10 MQM workers on 12 August 1998, in the North Nazimabad Massacre. According to The News, an English daily of August 31, 1998:

"The assailants were tall in height and were riding an unidentified vehicle. They entered into the lane on foot and shot at their targets," eyewitness said.

The details of those who were murdered:

1- Naeem, age: 22 year, son of Ghulam Ahmed, resident of Badshahi Road, Dhobhi Ghat, Karachi. He was a worker of MQM Unit 32, Sector Lyari.

2- Javed, age: 22 year, son of Mohammad Siddique, resident of Badshahi Road, Dhobhi Ghat, Karachi. He was a worker of MQM Unit 32, Sector Lyari.

3- Saeed, age: 25 year, son of Babu Hussain, resident of Badshahi Road, Dhobhi Ghat, Karachi. He was a worker of MQM Unit 32, Sector Lyari.

The details of those who were injured:

1- Shafi, age: 25 year, son of Rasheed.

2- Shahid, age: 35 year, son of Abdul Khaliq