MQM-P points accusing finger at PPP as it buries slain unit incharge

The funeral prayers of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan unit incharge allegedly killed by Pakistan Peoples Party workers in Nazimabad were held on Monday.

The funeral prayers of Ahmed Faraz were offered at Al-Huda Masjid in Nazimabad. Senior MQM-Pakistan leaders, including Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Mustafa Kamal, Anis Qaimkhani, and members of the party’s Coordination Committee attend the funeral and expressed condolences to the deceased’s heirs.

The heirs were assured of efforts for the arrest of the perpetrators. After the funeral prayers, the deceased was laid to rest at the Paposh Nagar graveyard.

MQM-P convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, while speaking to the media after the funeral prayers, said: “The price of peace has been paid; we keep lifting coffins. This is the MQM’s sixth martyr and they did not find solace.”

He said that in Nazimabad, his party office had been attacked numerous times. “We don’t want to fight as fighting is not our job.” He said it was the responsibility of the administration to apprehend the killers.

Mustafa Kalam said these cars were be set on fire later, proving that terrorists had arrived in cars. “This can be seen in the videos,” he said. “If the cars had been set on fire earlier, it could have been argued that firing occurred in response.”

In case of resistance, terrorists abandoned the cars and fled, Kamal said and asked if flowers rained down on their cars when terrorists fled. “Agitated individuals set the cars on fire,” he said. “We will not let our workers be harmed.

If the state cannot protect itself from terrorists, then allow us. Dying is not a problem for us.” He said those who fired were standing with those who had money in their mobiles; the video is available.

On Monday night, the Gulbahar police registered an FIR under the sections 147, 148, 149, 452, 427 and 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with the Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The case was registered on the complaint of Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui, the MQM-P's candidate from NA-249. Eight PPP workers were nominated by name along with 25 to 30 others in the FIR.

"I was at the central election office of NA-249 along with party workers when the PPP workers arrived on vehicles at around 2:30am on Monday and attacked our office and also opened fire with the intention to kill us, killing Faraz Ahmed Qureshi on the spot after he was hit in his head," reads the FIR.

DIG West Asim Qaimkhani reached Nazimabad’s Multi Chowk after the incident and after inspecting the crime scene he spoke to the media. “It will be premature to comment on the investigation. The election process is ongoing and all political parties should demonstrate restraint,” he said. “Such incidents only result in losses for both sides; no one benefits.”

DIG Qaimkhani said legal action would be taken as necessary and the process was underway. “I want to warn all the political parties at the behest of state that anyone involved in such activities will be brought to justice,” he warned. In replying to a question about a call for Dr Asim’s nomination in the FIR, DIG Qaimkhani said the police were conducting a detailed inquiry into the matter and would file a case based on merit.

“The incident occurred last night and I urge people not to carry weapons,” he said. “Effective action will be taken if weapons are seen in any rally or gathering.”

The DIG said that no political party is allowed to display or carry weapons. He added that firing occurred but it would be determined which side it came from and would assess every aspect. “It is also necessary to consider whether any rally should have passed in front of another’s office,” he questioned. “It is inappropriate for any political opponent to pass their rally in front of another’s office.”

He said political leaders would be asked to avoid creating such situations, and no political party should have a militant wing. “If anyone attempts to rise again, they should remember the consequences,” he warned. “Peace in Karachi is possible through the efforts of all stakeholders. I urge everyone to avoid such activities.”

MQM unit in-charge Ahmed Faraz Qureshi was killed and another person wounded during a clash between the MQM-P and the PPP near Multi Chowk in Nazimabad on Sunday night. Following the killing, agitated persons set fire to two double-cabin vehicles and smashed the windows of several other vehicles. Despite the arrival of two police mobiles, firing continued, resulting in the killing of one and injury to another person.

According to the police, the deceased was identified as 44-year-old Faraz Ahmed Qureshi, son of Ghayoor Ahmed Qureshi, a resident of Nazimabad. He served as MQM in-charge of Gulbahar Sector Unit 38, while the injured Rao Muhammad Talha, 25, is a worker of the Pakistan Peoples Party.

The police stated that four individuals suspected of involvement in the firing were taken into custody for interrogation, and multiple bullet shells were recovered from the scene and sent for forensic analysis.

Later, speaking at a press conference at the party’s election office in NA-249, Kamal claimed that the PPP has resorted to terrorism to save its ill-gotten gains. He said that the blood of MQM workers is not cheap, and that they are fighting for the survival of the country without salaries.

The former city mayor remarked that the MQM-P is the last line of defence for Sindh, otherwise the PPP would have turned the province into Sindhudesh.

He claimed that the MQM-P had eliminated the reign of terror in the city established by the Indian spy agency RAW that the state could not in its operations in 30 years.

He said that the PPP chants the slogan of ‘Pakistan Khappay’ only because they have earned billions of rupees through corruption here. He claimed said that this is the sixth incident in the city in three months in which PPP “terrorists” have killed MQM-P workers.

He also said that the state should tell them if it is able to provide security and justice to the MQM-P, otherwise the party would arrange these things itself.

Kamal claimed that MQM-P worker Faraz was killed on the orders of Dr Asim Hussain. He also claimed that the PPP wants to eliminate the MQM-P from District Central, which, he pointed out, even the 1992 operation against the party could not achieve.

He claimed that the PPP workers who had fired at the MQM workers were being escorted by the police. He also claimed that if the police had taken the injured MQM worker to the hospital, he would not have died.

Besides the former city mayor, MQM-P Deputy Convener Anis Kaimkhani and other members of the party’s coordination committee were also present at the press conference.