- Says if rebels in Balochistan can be given a ‘package’, why not the MQM workers?
- Says his party will hold first political gathering in the second week of April
Former Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal on Sunday said Mutahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) workers and activists who are in prison for having engaged in crimes at the behest of the party and its leadership should be given a way out.
“They may have committed crimes but we must look at who turned them into criminals,” said Kamal, adding that “if amnesty packages are given to rebels in Balochistan,” something must be done for these prisoners.
Reacting to MQM’s claim that imprisoned party workers were tortured by Rangers, Kamal said it was a good sign that the MQM was at least “accepting the jailed workers as its own”.
To a question about Farooq Sattar’s claims that Rangers were forcing his party’s inmates to change their loyalties, Kamal laughed and refused to comment, calling the MQM senior leader “innocent and oppressed”. He, however, said the jailer already refuted the allegations levelled by the MQM leader.
Kamal said Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Sindh Director Shahid Hayat visited him earlier in the day.
“He sought cooperation in the money laundering case against the MQM chief,” Kamal said.
Talking about jailed political workers, Kamal said entire families of imprisoned workers have suffered for years.
FIRST PUBLIC GATHERING:
The former Karachi mayor further said his new party will hold its first major political gathering in the second week of April in the metropolis.
“People are contacting us and all of us would make preparations to hold our party’s first public meeting, Kamal said, adding that the rally would determine the future of Pakistani politics. He appealed to ‘sisters and mothers’ to participate in the rally too.
A few days earlier, Kamal had disclosed the venue of his party’s public meeting without specifying the date.
“We will hold the public rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah ground, which is located in the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam,” he said.
Earlier in the day, MQM Coordination Committee member Dr Farooq Sattar had accused the Rangers of torturing party workers imprisoned at the Karachi Central Jail.
He said he had received reports that a heavy contingent of Rangers on Friday evening “conducted an operation” at the Karachi prison – in barracks 18, 19, 24 and 25 – and took away 40 under-trial ‘MQM prisoners whose cases are pending hearing’.
However, Sindh Home Minister Anwer Sayal denied these allegations, saying “such operations are a part of routine”.