MQM demands impartial investigations on Prof. Arif’s assassination
London. January 14, 2018: Muttahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) dissolved Coordination Committee members had strongly condemned the custodial death of Prof. Dr Hassan Zafar Arif. They have demanded impartial investigations on his cold blooded murder.
In a statement issued here, they said that Prof. Arif was very active senior leader of the Movement and despite unlawful and undeclared ban on political activities of the Movement; he was executing his assigned obligations.
They said the slain Prof. Arif was in perfect contact with the workers of the Movement until the evening of Jan 13, 2018 but at night, all contacts with him had vanished despite efforts. The Movement received information at about 07:30 a.m GMT that he has been assassinated. Prof. Arif had also been unlawfully detained by the security forces for 24 hours on Dec 9, 2017 and was tortured and threatened of dire consequences for executing his assigned obligations for the Movement.
He was vehemently tortured to death whole night as the blood stains on his face and signs of torture on his body are candid clear proof that as usual he was tortured to quit his struggle for the rights of Mohajirs as trusted and loyal companion of leader of the Movement Mr. Altaf Hussain.
The paramilitary Rangers and Police are trying to conceal the actual postmortem report that sufficiently exposes the security forces for their heinous crimes. They are making all efforts to impose a concocted report on his death as quite natural.
The dissolved Coordination Committee members have plainly held the military establishment behind the cold blooded assassination of senescent leader of the Movement, Prof. Arif. They said that the establishment has extrajudicially executed thousands of workers of the Movement and has kidnapped and forced to disappear hundreds of workers. The cold blooded assassination of Prof. Arif is a true depiction of demonic mind and the MQM condemns it in all forms of expressions.
They demanded the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Jawaid Bajwah to hold immediate and impartial investigations on cold blooded extrajudicial assassination of Prof. Arif. Those involved in his assassination should be taken to task and exemplary punishment should be awarded to them.
They prayed for the departed soul of Prof. Arif and on behalf of leader of the Movement expressed deep sorrow and grief and expressed solidarity with the aggrieved family.
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