Karachi at standstill over MQM's strike call
MQM appealed to human rights organization to take notice of its workers' killings.
KARACHI (Web Desk) - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has announced to observe a day of mourning on Saturday across Sindh to protest against the ‘extra-judicial killings’ of the party workers, Dunya News reported.
Businesses, commercial centres and shops were shut in Karachi, the country's financial capital.
The city wore a deserted look as vehicular traffic remained sparse on the roads.
The Private School Management Association on Friday had issued its notification for schools to remain shut down.
The Karachi University also announced postponement of all examinations scheduled for the day. A new date would be announced later.
The CNG stations could not open even today after a closure of 24hours.
In Hyderabad, markets and commercial centres were also closed down, while most activities remained slowed down in other parts of Sindh due to the strike.
During a press conference on Saturday evening, the MQM Coordination Committee termed the murder of its party workers as ‘extra judicial killings’ and appealed to the Supreme Court, President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, to take immediate notice of killing of its Korangi Sector’s worker, Muhammad Salman and others.
They said that in order to ensure transparency of the targeted operation it was imperative upon authorities concerned to set up a monitoring committee under the directives of the premier and the Interior Minister but regretfully no such measures were taken despite the fact that third phase of the operations which is tougher than two earlier phases had begun.
The MQM also demanded that an FIR regarding murder of Muhammad Salman Shaheed be lodged against additional I-G, Shahid Hayat and concrete measures be taken for the recovery of all missing workers of MQM.
These demands were put forth by Haider Abbas Rizvi while addressing a news conference along with other members of MQM Coordination Committee – Senator Nasreen Jalil, Amir Khan, Adil Khan and Waseem Akhtar – at Azizabad’s Khursheed Begum Secretariat.
They deplored that although the premier and the Interior Minister had repeatedly stated that no innocent person would become victim of the targeted operation, 10 MQM workers had been killed in extra-judicial killings while 45 workers were still missing.
MQM stated that unidentified personnel had adopted a new strategy whereby they get hold of MQM workers and after subjecting them to severe torture either release them after extorting money or kill them.
Voicing concern over missing of their workers after their arrest, they said that situation had assumed an alarming situation because their workers were being killed under official custody which, they added, amounted to judicial killing.
They also appealed to human rights organization to take notice of the killings.
