Furious Mirza stirs up political storm

Dr Zulfiqar Mirza resigned from all his government and party offices on Sunday – including the posts of senior provincial minister for works and services, member of the Sindh Assembly and senior vice president of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – in protest against what he said was interference of Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik in the affairs of Karachi, saying Malik was “a liar by birth” and responsible for the killings in the city.
Addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club (KPC) that lasted more than two hours, Mirza hurled a barrage of allegations at the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) with his hand placed on the Holy Quran, and also brought documents along with him to prove his claims.
“For three and a half years I have knocked on almost every door. They don’t take me seriously and think me mad. They did not give due attention to my reservations. Today, I am resigning from all offices and it is never too late,” he said.
ALTAF HUSSAIN: Putting the Quran on his head, Mirza narrated his meeting in London with MQM chief Altaf Hussain along with PPP leader Pir Mazhar. He said Altaf Hussain had taken them into a separate room. “He then told Pir Mazhar and I that he had been living in London for a long time and had developed contacts with international forces, and said the US had decided to break up Pakistan and that he would support it. He also said that he would kill the Pakhtuns in Karachi,” Mirza claimed. “My party and I cannot go along with those who want to break up Pakistan, who are involved in the conspiracies of international forces,” Mirza added.
At the start of the press conference, Mirza placed his hand on the Holy Quran and said that he would speak the complete truth and would be responsible for his every word. He said he had no personal agenda.
REHMAN MALIK: He said Rehman Malik was on the side of killers and terrorists. “I have so much evidence, including recorded telephone conversations,” said Mirza. He wanted to present the evidence against Malik to the president, prime minister, the chief of army staff and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, he added. “Rehman Malik is a liar by birth,” said Mirza.
He said that in his last meeting with the prime minister in Chief Minister’s House, he had a confrontation with Malik.
He said that innocent Muhajirs, Sindhi, Balochs and Pakhtuns were being killed in Karachi, and Malik was responsible for the three years of killings in the city because by pressuring authorities, he had got killers released. He said that Malik had shifted 40 dangerous terrorists out of Karachi. “Only because of this juggler, action was delayed or postponed against terrorists. He presents fake data and information in meetings with the PM. He always supports one party. He distorts facts, says that if action is taken against terrorists, the government will be toppled and Pakistan will break up,” Mirza added.
Mirza said in a message to the president, prime minister, Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker that if anything bad happened to Pakistan, the only one responsible would be Malik. “Rehman Malik is the enemy of Pakistan. It would be best to get rid of him,” said Mirza. He said Malik had no stakes in the situation in Pakistan as his family lived in London and all his assets were abroad. “Our lives, property, everything is at stake if anything bad happens to Pakistan or Sindh,” he said.
“I told my family and close friends that bad times may befall me. I am ready to face it. I told my 87-year-old father that as well. I will live and die for my motherland, my country, and I will unmask the killers of the innocent people of Karachi,” Mirza said.
Mirza said he had requested that he be given a free hand to control the situation in Karachi within 15 days. He said 25 convicts from the MQM had been let out on parole, one of whom was involved in 26 murder cases. “I do not believe in religious, linguistic or racial differences. All are equal in the eyes of God. Asif Ali Zardari is dearer to me than my own life and whatever position financially or politically I am enjoying today is all because of the support of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. There are no differences with the party and it will not be so in future either. I am an ordinary worker of the PPP and will remain one,” said Mirza. Mirza said he had been depicted as if he were Osama bin Laden, but he was only following in the footsteps of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, who did not compromise with dictators. “I came to the front with high risk. I will not shy away from sacrifice. I am a Bhutto who will fight against injustice. Peace will come back to the city of Karachi and Sindh will get its rights. I am proud that I am a Sindhi. I am son of the soil. In Karachi, parents have no rights to bury their sons and brothers, but citizens should get the right to bury their dear ones on their own,” said Mirza.
He said assassins had started killing innocent people in the city to get political space and money from extortion. “During six cabinet meetings chaired by the prime minister I have spoken many times about terrorism in the city and its realities. One MQM minister had called me a eunuch. The citizens of Karachi will see who is the eunuch,” said Mirza.
WALI BABAR: Mirza said the MQM was involved in the killing of TV journalist Wali Babar, and that the vehicle used in the killing belonged to a man named Liaqat. “These killers belong to the party that was involved in the conspiracy to break up Pakistan and divide Sindh. They are not friends of the Urdu-speaking people. The MQM is the enemy of the Urdu-speaking people,” he added.
He said that if he was killed his body should be shrouded in the PPP flag. He said if he was killed, the responsible would be those who were involved in targeted killings and the murder of TV journalist Wali Babar.
He said that he did not consider the MQM’s mandate in Karachi and Hyderabad real, but managed through harassment, fake votes and weapons. “If the people of Karachi and Hyderabad vote freely, the MQM can only get less than 50 percent of the vote. People like Syed Sardar Ahmed and Muhammad Ali Shah were hijacked by the MQM. I want to free all Pakistanis who are in the cage of the MQM. I request all citizens of Karachi and Hyderabad to stand up against their terror and ruthlessness. If you are not willing to come to the front, just stop supporting the MQM and you will see change,” said Mirza. He said that he was removed from the post of Sindh home minister because of pressure from the MQM. “After that I was made a senior minister, and the MQM became more annoyed,” he added.
He said that Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) chief Ahmed Chinoy was an MQM man and he was appointed on the demands of the Sindh governor. “He is a member of the Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF), holding number 22 on the list of the KKF,” said Mirza. Ambulances of the KKF were used to transfer weapons from one area to another when needed, he alleged. “The MQM’s Nasreen Jalil, whom I respect very much, has written a letter to foreign missions and embassies against the People’s Amn Committee, alleging that Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and President Asif Ali Zardari were involved in it. I have seen the face of my own son on every dead person in the city of Karachi. Sindhis have rendered more sacrifices for Pakistan than anyone, and they will not allow the enemies of Pakistan to succeed in another East Pakistan-like tragedy,” he added.
He alleged that in 2001, Altaf Hussain had written a letter to Tony Blair, the prime minister of Britain at the time, that he could bring millions of people out onto the streets of Karachi to serve British interest. “For this purpose, the ISI needs to be disbanded before it produces more Osama bin Ladens,” Mirza quoted Hussain as saying. He said Pakistan was safe because of the army and the ISI and his party would not support any conspiracy against the country. He said that when he was sent to MQM Headquarters 90, he felt as if he was attending the funeral of the people of Sindh. He alleged that the MQM wanted to grab land on MA Jinnah Road worth Rs 5 billion. “But I had opposed this in the cabinet meeting because this sum should not be spent in London but to serve the people of Sindh,” said Mirza.
He said the MQM’s “Ishtiaq Policewalla” was involved in the killing of 20 to 22 police officers. “I had decided that anyone recommended by the MQM will not be inducted into Sindh Police. Ten thousand vacancies in Sindh police were filled but I did not induct any candidates recommended by the MQM. I was accused of inducting 5,000 men from Lyari but the truth is that 3,000 to 4,000 vacancies were filled from all areas of Karachi,” said Mirza.
Mirza said that before he took charge as Sindh home minister, police stations used to be “auctioned”, and challenged the MQM to show how many police stations had been “sold” since he took over. He said the station house officer of Artillery Medan was responsible for bearing all expenses of the office and house of the home minister when he took over, but through a notification, he had banned the unofficial arrangement.
RESIGNATION ACCEPTED: Later, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah accepted Mirza’s resignation on orders from President Zardari. Meanwhile, Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said Mirza’s statements were his personal views and the PPP had nothing to do with them.