HYDERABAD: Two suspects, believed to be killers of former convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Dr Imran Farooq, should be handed over to the Scotland Yard, Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo demanded while speaking at a press conference at Palijo House on Friday.

“The MQM should do away with its militant wing as well as its network that exists in South Africa, Thailand and Gulf states,” he said.

Mr Palijo said that all terrorists and the criminals involved in targeted killings who were associated with political parties, including the MQM, should be arrested.

Also read: PPP leadership not interested in Benazir assassination case: Palijo

He noted that the suspected attackers of the QAT’s May 22, 2012 Mohabbat-i-Sindh rally, as well as other convicted terrorists, were arrested during the Rangers’ raid on the MQM headquarters in Karachi a couple of days back, and said the MQM leadership must clarify as to why they were present at Nine Zero and how the weapons seized in the raid had reached there.

“Why the five G-3 rifles, 23 SMGs, 2 LMGs, thousands of bullets, telescope, walkie-talkies and silencers were kept there,” he asked.

The MQM should also give up its tendency of showing intolerance to rivals, thappa (filling ballot boxes with bogus votes) culture and other means of rigging, he said, and demanded removal of criminals and terrorists recruited in the KMC, KPT and KESC, Port Qasim and local government institutions. Action should be taken over recruitment on MQM recommendation instead of merit, he said.

Criticising a section of the Urdu media for protecting terrorists while covering events, he said the plight of Sindhis was being widely ignored.

“If Pakistan is to be made citadel of peace and Karachi is to be brought on a par with New York, Dubai and London, then terrorists would have to be dealt with an iron hand,” he said.

Mr Palijo demanded that all those involved in the Baldia factory inferno be exposed and the joint interrogation team (JIT) reports of other tragedies known as the May 12, May 22, April 9, Nishtar Park, Abbas Town and Boulton Market carnages be made public and the culprits be hanged.

He said that the terrorists on death row should be hanged immediately.

“The 180 million people of this country have to be given their fundamental, human and political rights by doing away with the doctrine of necessity, under which terrorists, extremists and corrupt rulers are tolerated,” he said, and urged world powers to give up patronising terrorists in Pakistan.

The QAT leader said that clean educated people within the MQM should come forward. He claimed that “certain MQM leaders privately state that if their party dissociates itself from terrorists, this will help them (the leaders) show a better performance”.

Referring to the PPP-MQM political alliance, he said the two parties were now business partners and no longer political allies. “Characters like Malik Riaz may help get things settled,” he predicted.

Other QAT leaders Anwar Soomro and Noor Ahmed Katiyar were also present.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2015

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