KARACHI: A large number of women, including human rights campaigners and members of civil society, participated in a demonstration organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) at Teen Talwar traffic intersection in Clifton on Saturday in protest over the recent police action against women and children.

They condemned what they called the police brutality on participants of Wednesday’s rally of the MQM-P against the controversial local government law and the silence of Pakistan Peoples Party’s leadership at the ongoing exploitation of urban Sindh.

MQM-P leaders and rights activists while addressing the women-only demonstration questioned the “criminal silence” of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari who despite being the chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights did not bother to utter a single word on the recent attack of Karachi police on women and children.

Subzwari questions Bilawal’s silence over human rights violations in Sindh

They called it the “double standards” of the ruling PPP, which on the one hand described itself as the “champion of human rights” and on the other used “every tactic” to silence the voice of its opponents.

Apart from party leaders, the demonstration was also attended by Mahnaz Rahman of Aurat Foundation, women’s rights activist Sheema Kermani and other members of civil society.

Addressing the demonstration, MQM-P Senator Faisal Subzwari said that the PPP chairman never took a second to issue a statement if a violation of human rights was reported from any part of the country. “But when it comes to Sindh and police brutality against our sisters and mothers, he chooses to maintain silence.”

“This silence proves whatever police did against our women and children, it was not their own decision. It proves that whatever happened [the police action] got the blessings of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and the Sindh government,” he said.

He said that the Sindh government could not hide facts with force and power.

The demonstration also adopted a resolution rejecting the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2021 and demanded action against police officers involved in manhandling and attacking MQM-P workers.

The participants also demanded an empowered local government system.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2022