KARACHI, Jan 26: Renowned labour leader Lutf-e-Amim Shibli on Friday charged that Governor’s House officials, provincial ministers and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) office-bearers were pressurising him to withdraw case against accused Aftab Kazmi, who killed his wife, also a known labour leader Gulzar Begum last year.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) along with his sons Ahmed Mamoor Amimi and others, he alleged that Aftab Kazmi, a Muttahida activist, who killed his wife Gulzar Begum last year in March after his son refused to pay him extortion money.

“Police arrested him, eye witness identified him in the court and he also confessed murdering Gulzar Begum to teach my family a lesson for not paying extortion money to him.” he charged adding that now the provincial government was pressurising him to withdraw charges against the accused.

He also claimed that media organisations under the pressure from provincial government and the MQM; were not publishing or broadcasting his point of view and urged the media to fulfil its moral responsibility.

Mr Shibli said that brother of the accused Aftab Kazmi and other activists of MQM were threatening to kill his sons if he refused to withdraw charges against Kazmi. He feared that if the accused was set free, he could harm him and his sons.

He said after realising that authorities were patronizing a killer, he had decided to start hunger strike till death in front of the Karachi Press Club.

He demanded higher courts, Chief Justice of Pakistan, President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and other authorities to take stock of threats being given to his family, provide him and his family protection and ensure justice.

“If anything happens to me, Muttahida Qaumi Movement's ministers, Sindh governor and Muttahida's office-bearers would be responsible for that,” he added.—PPI