19 June 2004	Saturday	30 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, June 18: The convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement's co-ordination committee, Dr Imran Farooq, has deplored the remarks of PPP chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto, who has implicated MQM in the murder of Munawwar Suhrawardy.

He termed it "irresponsible" and said Ms Bhutto had also accused MQM, without any proof, when PPP MPA Abdullah Murad was murdered. Dr Imran Farooq asked PPP chairperson to desist from making such irresponsible and unsubstantiated statements.

He expressed surprise over Ms Bhutto's inability to tell who had murdered her brother Murtaza Bhutto, even eight years after his murder; while coming to know about Suhrawardy's murderers within hours, even though being outside the country.

He said such wild allegations only indicated that she knew that Munawwar Suhrawardy was to be killed, and MQM should to be implicated in the case. Dr Imran Farooq recalled that thousands of MQM workers and supporters were extra-judicially killed during her government which, he said, were vindicated in a Supreme Court judgment.

He advised Ms Bhutto not to be part of the anti-Sindh conspiracy hatched allegedly by Jamaat-i-Islami. Meanwhile, MQM members of Sindh Assembly accused Ms Bhutto of using the language of Qazi Hussain Ahmed while implicating MQM in the murder of Suhrawardy.

They claimed that both PPP and JI had a terrorist track record, and both of them had joined hands against MQM. They alleged that Suhrawardy's murder appeared to be the handiwork of PPP and JI "terrorists", further claiming that JI had targeted Karachi and Sindh to divert attention from the military operation in Wana.