Murad’s intervention leads to release of six MQM activists

KARACHI: A day after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) began a hunger strike unto death protest, six of its arrested workers were released from police custody on Thursday on the orders of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.  

The men were arrested from the party’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar sector this past week. The CM had asked the city police chief AD Khowaja to release the men if they were not involved in any cases. 

Murad said he did not wish to intervene in police’ affairs but could not allow any police official to detain innocent people. He said he was clear in his policy to make police stations public friendly and that no police officer would be allowed to harass citizens.

"Nobody in my government would be allowed to support criminals," the CM was reported to ahve categorically stated.

The IG had informed the CM that the men were arrested from the party’s sector in Gulistan-i-Jauhar and were included in an investigation; however, they were later informed to have been released.

The CM also apprised MQM’s leader of opposition in Sindh Assembly, Khwaja Izhar-ul-Hasan of his directives. "We are political people and do not believe in political victimization and neither have we ever intervened in political activities of any party," the CM told the leader opposition.  He assured Hasan that arrested MQM workers if found innocent would be released within a short time.

The workers released included Syed Arshad Ali, son of Syed Intikhab Ali; Mohammad Adeel, son of Shamsheer Ali; Syed Taleh Ali, son of Syed Azhar Ali; Waqas Ahmed, son of Nasar Ahmed; Gulam Murtaza, son of Ghulam Nabi Qadri and Zishan Bashir, son of Bashir Ahmed.

The chief minister hoped the MQM would end its hunger strike, now that he had taken notice of their demand.

Jahangir Park restoration

After getting done with the day’s meetings, the CM headed towards the Jahangir Park, in Saddar, without any protocol. Expressing displeasure over the piles of filth dumped at the site, Murad called for the garbage to be cleaned up.

"It is not only the government’s duty to maintain the park’s upkeep but the responsibility to keep it neat and clean also falls on each and every individual living in the vicinity," he said.

Angered at fruit and vegetable vendors surrounding the park, Murad claimed that it was the vendors and shopkeepers who had turned the park into a dumping ground.

He directed deputy commissioner (South) to get a compound wall constructed around the park and develop it properly. The area was one of the main areas of the city since people from far flung areas frequented it for shopping purposes.

"I not only want the park restored but encroachments from the entire Saddar area should also be removed.”

—Originally published in The News