Addressing a press conference, MQM’s Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Raza Haroon said a provincial minister (Sindh Senior Minister Zulfiqar Mirza) had publicly admitted that he had met the head of the “Haqiqi terrorists” in Karachi Central Jail on July 11, and had also announced his full support to him. “We had expressed our apprehensions at the time. The manner in which the heavily-armed criminal elements attacked MQM workers and tried to forcibly occupy party offices, their free movement in the area and the police’s role of a silent spectator has forced us to believe that this was all done under a well-planned scheme,” Haroon said.
Throughout the day, incidents of intermittent aerial firing were reported from Malir and Landhi bringing routine life to a complete standstill. Shops and markets were closed and public transport remained suspended all day long. Raza claimed that more than 50 armed MQM-H activists entered Khokhrapar, Ammar Yasir Society and other adjoining areas of Malir and attacked houses of MQM workers. He said that more than 30 workers and supporters of the MQM were either injured or killed as a result of heavy firing by the assailants.
“Terrorists armed with latest automatic weapons continued to move in Malir and Khokhrapar without any hindrance for several hours. They attacked houses of MQM workers and party offices, and innocent party workers and sympathisers fell victim to their brazen terrorism. The terrorists had a heyday but police was nowhere to be seen. Similarly, armed terrorists entered MQM’s Unit 89 in Landhi Colony No 1 and attacked several places. The gravity of the situation can be judged from the fact that these terrorists used hand grenades as well. These criminal elements disappeared from the scene only when the Rangers entered Malir, Khokhrapar and Landhi,” Haroon said.
Committee: In a bid to quell violence, President Asif Ali Zardari formed a four-member committee to come up with a strategy to maintain peace in Karachi and address the reservations of allied parties, besides ordering PPP leaders to avoid making harsh comments against coalition parties. The committee was announced at a PPP consultative meeting held at Bilawal House and would comprise Syed Khurshid Shah, Abdul Qadir Patel, Agha Siraj Durrani and Ayaz Soomro. The committee will hold consultations with the MQM, PML-Q and PML-F on the revival of magistracy and other issues to bridge the gulf between the allied parties.
