KARACHI: At the end of the fifth day of Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers’ hunger strike unto death, the Pakistan Peoples Party invited on Sunday the opposition party for talks to address their reservations and concerns over the ongoing Karachi operation.

The MQM accepted the invitation and formed a committee, which is scheduled to meet Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday.

Sixteen leaders and office-bearers of the MQM have been observing a hunger strike until death in protest against “illegal raids, arrests and extrajudicial killings” of party workers and an unannounced ban on its political activities.

Several politicians, including Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and Pakistan Muslim League-N provincial chief Ismail Rahu, visited the MQM hunger strike camp outside the Karachi Press Club during the past four days to express solidarity.

On Sunday, the new Sindh chief minster sent a government delegation headed by provincial minister and senior PPP leader Nisar Ahmad Khuhro to express solidarity with the protesting leaders and invited them for talks to sort out an end to the ongoing situation.

The PPP delegation that also comprised of Senator Saeed Ghani, Rashid Rabbani and Law Adviser to Sindh CM Murtaza Wahab also spoke to MQM London-based chief Altaf Hussain over the phone.

He thanked the PPP delegation for visiting the camp and informed them about MQM reservations over the neutrality of the Karachi operation.

Mr Hussain criticised the ongoing Rangers-led operation and told the visiting leaders that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari might also be targeted in this operation. “Why such an operation is not being carried out in Punjab,” he questioned.

Mr Khuhro said that the people living in Sindh irrespective of what language they spoke were all Sindhis.

Later, Mr Khuhro told reporters that the hunger strike until death was an extreme step of the MQM and this situation did not look good for Sindh and Karachi.

Speaking on the occasion, Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hasan said that a delegation of the MQM would meet CM Shah on Monday. “Murad Ali Shah is the CM of Sindh and captain of Karachi operation. He took notice of our hunger strike and we will discuss the issues tomorrow [with him].”

He said that the MQM protest was not aimed at saving some terrorist or criminal. “This hunger strike is for saving the lives of those MQM workers who are being tortured in custody.”

He said that the MQM would extend its full cooperation for an impartial Karachi operation. “But this hunger strike until death will continue till our grievances are not addressed.”

Unlike the past when leading political parties, including the ruling PPP, ignored the MQM’s protest sit-ins and token hunger strikes, this time almost every political party is sending its delegation to express solidarity with the MQM.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2016