KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has strongly condemned the speech of Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and accused him of threatening the Urdu speaking people.
Talking to The News exclusively from London on Monday, Member MQM Rabita Committee Mustafa Azizabadi said the Sindh Home Minister, Mirza had given a direct threat to the Urdu speaking people.
When asked whether the statement could harm the Sindh coalition government, he said such statements would create bitterness between the MQM and PPP. He agreed that the MQM and PPP would be at loggerheads following the statement.
When asked whether the MQM would pull out of the coalition, he said it was for the Rabita Committee to decide as the party always takes important decisions at this forum.
Mustafa said President Asif Ali Zardari should take notice of the irresponsible speech given by Sindh home minister, who was a custodian of the people.
Mustafa said as the home minister, it was his responsibility to provide protection of life and property to the citizens but he had instead issued a threatening statement.
He asked what Mirza meant by asking Sindhis, Baloch, Pathans and other nationalities to get united and “take guns at Urdu speaking people”, adding that it was a direct threat to the Urdu speaking people.
Referring to his statement that Dr Imran was murdered in London but killings started in Karachi, Mustafa said this was a totally wrong statement. He said not a single incident (of killings) took place in Karachi. On the contrary, on the third day, the MQM Rabita Committee held a press conference over the issue of target killings and asked why the target killings were on the rise. He accused Dr Zulfiqar Mirza of providing shelter to the Bhatta and land mafias and Lyari gangsters.
Mustafa said every industrialist of Karachi was fully aware as to who distributed “parchis” (extortion chits).
He further said that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007 but thousands of cars were torched, industrial units and factories were looted and banks robbed. Karachi had never witnessed such a devastation, he added.
He asked as to why he (Mirza) did not take action against those criminals. Mustafa asked whether the people of Karachi had assassinated Benazir when in revenge the whole of Karachi was made ground zero.
He also deplored the statement claiming that 26 of the arrested target killing accused belonged to the biggest political party of Karachi. Mustafa said, “As the Sindh home minister, you cannot issue such an irresponsible statement on the media. You should provide concrete proof and evidence in court.”
Mustafa further accused Dr Zulfiqar Mirza of providing shelter to killers of Shershah Kabari Bazaar, adding the killers had not been arrested yet. He alleged that land and drug mafias were being provided shelter by Dr Zulfiqar Mirza.
Another federal minister and Rabita Committee member of the MQM said on condition not to be named that it looks that some PPP high ups had asked Mirza to issue such a statement as the issue of RGST was on top these days. Since the MQM is not supporting the bill, that was why Mirza had lashed out at the Muttahida. He said MQM was mentally prepared to part ways with the PPP.
Deputy Convener and Member MQM Rabita Committee Dr Farooq Sattar was also contacted on phone to get his comments but he said that he had just landed in Dubai and was not aware of the contents of Mirza’s speech.
Another Rabita committee member Wasay Jalil was asked whether the MQM was still in coalition with the PPP, Jalil said the MQM was in coalition with President Asif Ali Zardari and it was unconditional.
Meanwhile, the Coordination Committee of the MQM went into an emergency joint session in Karachi and London on Monday to discuss the “provocative speech” of Zulfiqar Mirza.
The meeting discussed in detail the speech and expressed grave concern over it. It was decided in the meeting that a delegation of the MQM would meet President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani after Muharram and give them the DVD of the speech and inform them about the concerns of the MQM.
It was said in the meeting that at a time when members of the Coordination Committee, elected representatives and office-bearers of the MQM were busy in promoting unity among Muslims and religious harmony in connection with maintaining peace during the month of Muharram, the provocative speech made by the provincial home minister was a cause of concern and not without reason.
The meeting demanded of President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani to take a serious note of the unwarranted provocative speech of the minister and ask him to explain his position. The committee asked the elected representatives and office-bearers of the party not to be provoked by the statement and continue working for maintaining peace during Muharram. THE NEWS
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