KARACHI, June 3: Speakers at a meeting on Saturday demanded that a high-level judicial inquiry be immediately instituted to ascertain the facts behind the May 12 violence so that the killers could be arrested, tried and punished according to the law.

They were speaking at a meeting on the “Women’s Peace Initiative,” organised by the Women’s Action Forum at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs’ auditorium. Along with discussing the violent events of May 12 and the subsequent sufferings of the families of the victims, they talked about what could be done so that such gory events did not recur. The speakers, however, held General Musharraf, the Sindh government and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which holds the Sindh Home Department, responsible for the killings. They said that though clashes in the city were expected on May 12, proper security measures had not been adopted to ensure that nobody took the law in to their own hands, which proved that the government was supporting the trouble-makers.

Some of the speakers were of the opinion – and apparently Gen Musharraf shared this view -- that whatever had happened should be forgiven so that a fresh start could be taken. They said a dialogue should be initiated with all the stakeholders -- political parties, ethnic groups etc., -- so that future peace could be ensured.

Others were of the opinion that the killers and the victims could not be dealt with equally. However, they said if the killers were first brought to justice and their political party disassociated itself from them, then, at a later stage, maybe that party could also be included in to the dialogue.

They said that this was not the first time Karachi had witnessed a bloodbath. Such incidents had occurred earlier also, but the difference this time was that because of the electronic media’s live coverage, these gory incidents were brought in to every household across the country and across the globe. This had elicited a strong reaction from society, while earlier, only a limited number of eyewitnesses to such events were affected.

They said that a Women’s Peace Commission had been formed and it would work to initiate and promote efforts that would ensure that the city remained peaceful in the future. One of the speakers said that it was unfortunate that the government was protecting and supporting the forces that were killing citizens, be it in the Fata, Balochistan or Karachi.

She stressed that issues should not be pushed under the rug and efforts should be made to solve these through dialogue, otherwise such gory incidents would keep on recurring.

The sister of one of those killed in the May 12 mayhem recounted her brother’s ordeal in an emotionally choked voice. She said her brother, cousin and their two friends, after completing work, were returning home when they were rounded up by a group of 20 to 30 youths, openly carrying arms, near Chandni Chowk.

The armed hooligans proceeded to beat them up. Resultantly her brother was shot while her cousin and his friends managed to escape. Later she identified her brother’s body at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. She said that all she wanted was that her brother’s killers be arrested and punished, according to the law.

Justice (retd) Majida Rizvi, Anis Haroon, Bushra Gohar, Nargis Rehman, Sheema Kirmani, Zubaida Mustafa, Simi Kamal, Sabooha Khan, Rakhshanda Naz, Khawar Mumtaz, Nuzhat Kidwai, Malka Khan, Azra Saeed, Marium Palijo, Perveen Qaimkhani, and others also spoke.