Countrywide MQM protest against workers’ killing, arrest today
April 18, 2014
MQM leaders said on Thursday if the government, army and police could not provide party workers and leaders with adequate security and protection, they should step aside and the MQM would come forward for its own protection.
The MQM declared that a series of protests and sit-ins would continue to be staged all over the country if extra-judicial killings were not stopped and kidnapped party workers were not recovered.
The party leaders warned of this while addressing a protest rally organised at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) as the first step in their series of protests. They claimed that today’s rally would be a big one and the more protests would continue in the country if the law enforcement agencies did not stop their ‘illegal and unconstitutional activities’ against the MQM.
Carrying placards and banners, the participants of the rally raised slogan against what they termed the extra-judicial killings and disappearances of party workers. The affected families were also carrying portraits of their missing family members and demanded the prime minister take steps for the recovery of kidnapped activists.
Addressing the protest rally, Dr Farooq Sattar said that it was the MQM’s demand, and warning as well, to the federal and provincial government and law-enforcement agencies to stop the violations of the Constitution and illegal activities. He said that the MQM could deal with the plainclothes men itself if the government and law enforcement agencies allowed the party to deal with them.
Farooq Sattar said: “Don’t test our patience otherwise the scenes of deprivation could be converted into scenes of destruction.” He said that Thursday’s protest was a ‘trailer’ while Friday’s protest would be ‘the full film’ and protests and sit-ins would continue in the country till the unlawful activities of the law-enforcement agencies stopped.
He said the articles 4,9,10 and 14 were being violated by the law-enforcement agencies and the MQM was trying to draw the attention of the rulers and responsible forces to stop these unconstitutional acts and avoid using unethical and inhuman methods with the MQM workers.
The parliamentary party leader in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar asked the present regime not to create the Balochistan like situation in Sindh. Addressing the rally the party leaders Haider Abbas Rizvi, Khawaja Izharul Hasan and Ashfaq Mangi also warned the law enforcement agencies not to enforce the PPO against the MQM otherwise the people would resist and rulers would be responsible for the situation.
The participants got emotional when the mothers of two missing workers Farooq and Irshad and daughter of Farhan spoke and shared the miseries of their families.
