KARACHI, July 27: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Wednesday alleged that the attempt on the life of DIG Investigations was part of a conspiracy directed against the MQM and aimed at plunging the city into a bloodbath for sabotaging the upcoming local bodies election.
Dr Farooq Sattar, Deputy Convenor of the MQM, told a news conference that a hit-list, recovered from the assailant included names of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui, Finance Minister Sardar Ahmad, MNA Kunwar Khalid Younus and others.
He said that the armed terrorist had attacked the DIG, Manzoor Mughal, in his office but was arrested with the weapon. During a body search, the hit-list was found, he added.
Dr Farooq Sattar claimed that attack on the DIG was also aimed at proving that police were not capable of maintaining law and order and, therefore, military should be deployed to oversee the law and order during the elections.
During the ensuing investigation, the assailant gave his name as Sher Khan, belonged to Abbotabad, said Dr Farooq Sattar, who stressed the need for a thorough investigation into the case in order to expose the ‘invisible hand’ behind the conspiracies to malign the MQM by killing people and destroying law and order.
He pointed out that incidents like these were naturally a cause of concern, especially at the time when the government and the MQM were trying to have an orderly and peaceful local bodies election. In this context, he referred to the APC organized by the MQM, and claimed that JI leaders had launched a propaganda that there would be bloodshed in Karachi during the election.
He said that the attempt on the life of Manzoor Mughal and the hit-list recovered from the attacker’s possession were ample proof of a conspiracy having been hatched to sabotage the election.
He claimed that those who had put the governor and home minister on the hit-list were those who were not ready to tolerate them.
Had the attacker succeeded in his designs and made good his escape, then once again the MQM would have been accused of being behind the attack, he said.
Dr Sattar, who is also parliamentary leader of the MQM in the National Assembly, also recalled attacks on the president, prime minister and corps commander in Karachi, and said records showed the culprits belonged to religious and jihadi outfits. He said the fact that the man who attacked the DIG belonged to the NWFP had also exposed the elements who were involved in the killing of religious scholars, ulema and political figures.
He appealed to the president and prime minister to order a high-level inquiry into the attack on Mr Mughal. He also appealed to his party workers to maintain calm.
Asked how the armed man managed to the DIG’s office unchecked through the entrance, Dr Farooq Sattar said investigations would establish everything. It would also establish whether or not the hit-list was a mere diversion.
