MQM-P demands swift justice as it buries three slain activists

Three Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) workers who were killed in Machar Colony were laid to rest in the same area on Tuesday, with party leadership and a large number of people attended their funeral prayers.

MQM-P activists Sirajul Islam, Mohib and Abdus Salam were shot dead in a firing incident in Machar Colony on Monday. Besides family members and relatives of the deceased persons, party convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and other leaders Mustafa Kamal, Anis Qaimkhani, Aminul Haq and Faisal Sabzwari participated in the funeral prayers.

Speaking to media, MQM-P convener said that the Machar Colony incident was their patience’s last straw and immediate justice was needed to redress their grievances. He emphasized that justice should be visible and swift.

He announced that the MQM-P will hold a public gathering in Machar Colony on December 24 to reduce tension in the area. He added that the party wished to see harmony among people living in the city.

He commented that if a war was imposed on them, then defeat will be the fate of the aggressor. He said that the party did not want to fight, but knew how to fight. He demanded of the Sindh caretaker chief minister and state to take notice of the incident.

No need for rigged polls

Addressing a press conference at the MQM-P central election office on Tuesday, MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Syed Mustafa Kamal said that the chief election commissioner should consider the party’s objections and concerns without any political interference. “The verdict of the Islamabad High Court has just acknowledged the MQM-P’s stance on rigged delimitations. Our party welcomes the IHC decision. It’s a victory for us. We have six more cases, and they should also be reviewed.”

Kamal claimed that the entire electoral staff has been taken hostage in Sindh with the help of bandits. He also claimed that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), with the help of the bureaucracy, has established strong links to alter the election results. It is also evident from the fact that the local government elections had been rigged openly, yet the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the results, he remarked.

He said the most difficult general elections are going to be held next year, and if the ECP is conducting them like the LG polls, then the commission should announce the results as well. There is no need to waste time and public money to conduct a rigged election drama, he added.

He asked if Bilawal Bhutto Zardari can stand in Lahore and say he would make it like Karachi, Faisalabad like Hyderabad, and Sialkot like Larkana.