14 May 2004	Friday	23 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, May 13: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on Thursday gave the call for a complete strike in Karachi to be observed on Friday against the killing of its 11 workers, and accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of carrying out the killings.

The MMA has appealed to all citizens, including businessman community, traders, shopkeepers and transporters, to join in the peaceful protest against, what it called, 'government-sponsored terrorism and vandalism'.

The call was given by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, acting chief of the MMA, who was speaking at the collective funeral prayer at the Numaish Chowrangi for six victims of the violence during the Wednesday's by-elections. Earlier, he had led funeral prayer of another victim in Nazimabad.

Qazi Saheb impressed upon the protesters to remain peaceful during the strike and demonstrate unity and cohesion in the struggle aimed at foiling the conspiracies hatched by the United States and its local agents.

He appealed to the ulema, prayer leaders and Khateebs of the Juma congregations to condemn the terrorism and vandalism 'by the MQM' in their sermons. He called upon them to lead the prayer for the departed souls.

In his earlier speech, Qazi Hussain Ahmed demanded that the MQM be disbanded and remarked: "The Muttahida Qaumi Movement is not a political party, but a gang of terrorists."

He also demanded that the governor and government of Sindh be dismissed. He said that the killing of 11 unarmed MMA workers was a conspiracy, against Karachi.

He was confident that the blood of martyrs would prove to be harbinger of a revolution. He declared that the MMA would not allow terrorists to continue playing havoc with the city.

The MMA leader insisted that the MQM would have none of the seats in the Wednesday's by-elections in Karachi had there been free and fair polls. Reiterating the MMA's determination not to surrender to the oppressive forces, he said that the federal government should be ashamed of handing over Karachi to terrorists.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad alleged that without patronage by the Rangers and police, it was not possible for the terrorists to do what they had done on the occasion of by-polls.

He was of the view that the MQM had started realizing that it was losing in the by-elections and, as such, after 3pm terrorists unleashed attacks and took over polling stations.

He added that male and female polling agents were either held hostage or roughed up to ensure that they could not raise their voice against stuffing of ballot boxes.

"All this happened under a calculated move with the patronage of police and Rangers as the high-ups of law enforcement agencies and the chief election commissioner, did not move despite being informed repeatedly of the manipulation.

Qari Osman, who was an MMA candidate in the NA-240, said all incidents of terrorism were the outcome of US agents' activities. Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui said that the MMA did not believe in responding terrorism with terrorism.

SHOOTING: Unidentified people resorted to shooting just before the collective funeral prayer. The assailants, in a Suzuki hi-roof bearing official number plate, opened fire causing panic among the participants of the funeral prayer who pelted the vehicle with stones.

The armed occupants of the vehicle left behind the vehicle and ran away. The vehicle's windscreen and windowpanes were smashed. Shooting alerted personnel of the law-enforcement agencies deployed near the venue of the funeral prayer. Two Rangers vans rushed to the spot. Some Rangers and police vehicles were brought closer to the spot and parked at a distance of some 500-800 yards.

However, as the two vans came closer to the venue, they were attacked with stones. Shooting broke out again and one person, Abu Aala, sustained a bullet wound. Reports said that Rangers had fired shots while some of the mourners also resorted to aerial firing.

The injured was taken to the JPMC. The situation was soon brought under control. Fearing that the mourners may divert to the Governor's House, the police cordoned off Aiwan-i-Saddar Road.