- MQM chief says won’t let Punjab ministers enter Sindh if killings continue, suspends MQM Rabita committees, says wants to return to country and die as martyr
Enraged over the murder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Sialkot Vice President Bau Anwar by “unidentified men” in the early hours of Wednesday in Sialkot, MQM chief Altaf Hussain grilled the Punjab ministers and the police, and also suspended his party’s Rabita committees.
He threatened that no minister of Punjab will be allowed to enter Sindh if the killings continued.
While addressing a large number of MQM workers via telephone in Karachi, Hussain said that 400 MQM leaders had been killed in various incidents in two years. He said that at least three terrorists opened fire at Bau Anwar while the police took no action. He wished to “die as a martyr” among his workers.
The MQM chief asked the Pakistan Army, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Establishment and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as to why no action has been taken on the assassination of the MQM leader.
Hussain said that the party had condemned the Faisalabad incident which was given due media coverage, however, Anwar’s assassination was “insufficiently noticed”. He said that MQM was being subjected to “biased attitude” and no one noticed Anwar’s murder.
“If Muhajirs are culprits then file cases against them rather than throwing their bodies on the roads,” he said.
The MQM chief further stated that a treason case would have been filed against him if he would have given a civil disobedience call, however no action was taken against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan as he led the disobedience throughout the country. He alleged that “no one was saying anything to Khan because a secret force was on his back”.
“The Establishment must be regretting for not shooting me until now,” he added.
Hussain also grilled Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah for “creating disturbance in the province as they have not provided security to the MQM leadership”.
Moreover, the MQM chief demanded the British government to return his passport so that he could return to Pakistan.
RABITA COMMITTEES’ BASHING:
Perturbed over the “careless attitude” of Rabita committees in London and Karachi, Hussain criticised their performance and suspended them, also asking them not to attend his address at Nine Zero.
The suspension comes in the wake of MQM Rabita committees’ alleged inability to register a strong protest against their leader’s murder in Sialkot.
Hussain directed the workers to stage demonstrations against the Anwar’s murder and chant slogans against the Punjab government. He urged the workers and supporters to chant “Qatil Hakomat” (killer government) in the rallies.
Meanwhile, MQM lodged protest in Sialkot city against the murder and blocked traffic on various roads of Sialkot. They demanded early arrest of the killers.
CM TAKES NOTICE:
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of MQM leader’s murder. He ordered Sialkot Police to ensure the arrest of the killers within 12 hours and present a detailed report. Sharif also announced a Rs 2 million compensation for Bau Anwar’s family.
The Sialkot’s firing incident which claimed Anwar’s life also left MQM activists Muneer Ahmed and Muhammad Younus injured.
According to senior police officials, the reason behind the murder has not been ascertained yet. Several police teams led by senior police officials were conducting raids at various places for the arrest of killers.