Calling Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s chief Altaf Hussain’s demand of handing Karachi over to the army “constitutional, lawful and democratic”, the party’s Coordination Committee member, Qasim Ali Raza, on Tuesday said if the army could be called to the city to ensure free and transparent by-elections, it could also be called in for the protection of life and property of the citizens.
Commenting on Pakistan People’s Party leader Khurshid Shah’s statement that the demand of calling the army in Karachi was akin to “a slap on the face of democracy”, the MQM leader asked Shah “whether leaving the citizens’ life and property at the mercy of terrorists and professional killers could be described as democracy?”
The MQM leader said terrorists were wreaking havoc with the lives of unarmed members of the Kutchhi community, attacking their houses with hand grenades, forcibly ejecting them from their houses, issuing extortion slips to traders and kidnapping businessmen and citizens for ransom, but still no action was being taken against them.
Raza asked the PPP leader “can the act of patronising and nurturing professional criminals, extortionists and leaving unarmed innocent citizens at the mercy of terrorists be described as ‘a slap’ on the face of democracy and humanity”?
Justifying Altaf’s demand of handing Karachi over to the army, the coordination committee member said the MQM leader’s demand which was aimed at protection the life and property of the citizens, was in accordance with Clause 4 of Article 149 and hence it was constitutional, lawful and democratic.
Raza also advised Shah and “the other so-called champions of democracy” to tell their constituents what services they had provided for their progress and prosperity.