The paranoid city of 20 million people descended into fear and shock on Tuesday as different politico-religious parties took to the streets to accuse the PML-N-led federal and Punjab governments of conspiring to sabotage the Pakistan Army’s military offensive against Taliban militants in North Waziristan.
The outcry came in response to Tuesday’s killing of at least 12 workers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) in a reported clash with the police in Lahore’s Model Town neighbourhood, an incident PAT Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri termed as “state terrorism”.
Prominent among those agitated were the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League-Quid, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), All Pakistan Shia Action Committee (APSAC), Sunni Ittihad Council (SIC) and Sunni Tehreek (ST). A large number of male and female PAT supporters held a protest demonstration at Karachi Press Club where their spiritual leader, Dr Qadri, made a telephonic address from Canada.
The protesters were holding party flags, placards and banners inscribed with slogans decrying the “traitors of army”. “Down with Punjab police. Long Live Pakistan Army,” read a big banner placed on a vehicle being used as a stage for the speakers.
Dr Qadri, vowing that he would love to “get martyred” instead of rescheduling his homecoming on June 23 at Islamabad airport, said the Punjab government, by unleashing state terrorism, killed eight of his party workers, including two women. Of the 83 injured, he said, 40 were in a very critical condition. “Besides, hundreds of our party activists who were taken away like corpses are missing,” he told protesters.
By Tuesday’s killings, Dr Qadri claimed, the pro-Taliban PML-N regime wanted to create political chaos and anarchy in the country so that the ongoing military operation in KPK’s North Waziristan agency could fail.
Dubbing “Zarb-e-Azb” a “great jihad”, Dr Qadri said his side would lodge an FIR against PM Nawaz Sharif, CM Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, ministers – like Ch Nisar Ali Khan, Pervez Rasheed, Rana Sanaullah, Saad Rafique, IG and DIG Punjab police and others concerned.
“They would have to give Qisas (proportionate compensation of a loss in terms of life or money),” said the PAT chief. The Model Town incident, he said, was a warning for PAT and other likeminded parties tending to launch a revolution to introduce the Islamic system of caliphate in Pakistan.
Khalid Ahmed and Bilquees Mukhtar of the MQM, Aleem Adil Shaikh of the PML-Q, Mirza Yousaf Hussain of the APSAC, Allama Ashraf Gurmani of the SIC and Mubeen Qadri of the ST also addressed the protestors. The speakers condemned the killing of innocent PAT workers as “shameful” with MQM’s Ahmed questioning that whose agenda Sharifs were serving by such inhuman acts. “We demand that the government unmask and take the responsible to task,” the MQM provincial lawmaker said.
Quoting party chief Altaf Hussain’s directives, Ahmed said his party would observe Wednesday as a day of mourning. Mirza of the APSAC also declared that the committee would observe a three-day mourning to express solidarity with the PAT.
In a separate statement, PPP’s Senator Saeed Ghani blasted the Punjab police and demanded of a public apology from the prime minister and resignation from Punjab chief minister. Shehbaz, the PPP leader said, could well be called as “Zalim-e-Aala” instead of Khadim-e-Aala of Punjab.
Ghani also warned Dr Qadri against violence saying hurting democracy might harm the federation as the country was transiting through a critical phase. What panicked the traders, transporters and commuters was the MQM’s declaration of Wednesday as a day of mourning to express solidarity with the PAT.
The investors at Karachi Stocks Exchange were “panicked” leading the benchmark 100-share index to nosedive by 326.4 points or 1.1 percent to end at 29,324.60 points. Equity analyst Ahsan Mehanti said the stocks fell across the board as the investors got panicked following unrest in Punjab province after TMQ workers’ killings.
All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir said traders, particularly the owners of fuel stations, also got panicked when the media reported Punjab incident. “The buyers disappeared at once. The day’s loss ranges from Rs 1.5 billion to Rs 2 billion,” he said, adding a full-day closure costs businesses in the city at least Rs 3.5 billion.
“We have appealed the MQM to revise their decision (relating to mourning day),” said Mir. The MQM’s Rabita Committee responded positively to the appeal by retracting its earlier call for day of mourning.
