HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders, including senior deputy convener Amir Khan and member Aminual Haq of its coordination committee, visited the bereaved family of Khalilur Rehman alias Bholu Khanzada in Tando Allahyar on Sunday and offered their condolences. The party’s lawmaker Sabir Kaimkhani also accompanied them.

MQM-P activist Khanzada was shot dead as soon as he along with his brother arrived at the Tando Allahyar sessions court on a motorcycle on Friday for the hearing of his case pertaining to the Nov 18, 2020 murder of Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) vice chairman Altaf Jaskani. Initial police reports suggested that a car carrying Jaskani’s brother Asad and his friends hit the motorcycle and when Khanzada tried to run to safety, Asad came out of the car and shot him dead. Asad’s companions also fired shots from the car and Asad got hurt in the shooting.

After meeting Khanzada’s family, Amir Khan spoke to the media outside their house. He said Khanzada was murdered in the presence of police at the gate of the sessions court.

Khanzada’s murder in presence of police party, excesses against protesting women condemned

He smelt a rat why four short adjournments were given in the murder trial against Khanzada. His heirs were subjected to violent police action on Friday night [during a protest over his murder] and booked in “false” cases, Mr Khan noted, and claimed that the murder suspect [Asad] was being extended undue facilities in hospital. “While Khanzada’s heirs were being baton-charged by police, the suspect was making selfies in custody,” he deplored, and demanded removal of Tando Allahyar SSP Rukhsar Khuhawar and transfer of Khanzada’s murder investigation to some honest officer.

He claimed that Khanzada was murdered in the presence of Inspector Shams Khokhar and his subordinates.

“When heirs of the deceased held a protest, police demonstrated fascism which means one cannot protest or even weep over tyranny; a ‘wadera gang’ is ruling over Sindh and the history of these rulers is witness to the fact that they always want Sindhi-Muhajir riots for their own vested interests,” the MQM-P leader said.

He assured the people of Tando Allahyar that his party would not leave them in the lurch. The Muttahida would raise its voice in the national and Sindh assemblies, he added.

He recalled that Khanzada had held a press conference after a scuffle in court [with the rival side] a few days back and demanded security for himself; he also named the people to be held responsible in case any harm came to him.

Amir Khan said four hearings of the case were fixed within just 21 days which showed an unusual emergency in the matter. This proved that some mindset was working behind this case for a revenge.

He also condemned police for trespassing on houses, looting gold ornaments and mobile phones and trampling over sanctity of chadar and chardiwari during the [Friday-Saturday] crackdown on MQM-P activists.

He demanded withdrawal of the “false” FIRs in which Khanzada’s brother, Asif, was also booked to exert pressure on him. He said witnesses of the murder faced threats and should be provided protection.

Dr Farooq Sattar backs MQM-P demands

MQM Reorganising Committee head Dr Farooq Sattar also visited the bereaved family and offered his condolences.

Speaking to the media, he demanded from the Sindh chief minister and IG to ensure justice in the murder case.

He deplored that while the protesting women were being baton-charged, the murder suspect was being presented bouquet in custody and sweets were being distributed.

He said he, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Afaq Ahmed should have come here together but unfortunately this did not happen. He called for the removal of SSP Khuhawar, and added that CIA in-charge Aslam Langah, Inspector Shams Khokhar, Altaf Rind and others who were responsible for the baton-charge on women should also be removed.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2022

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