HYDERABAD, May 16: The country can only be saved if the government resigns, caretaker setup is established, and fair and transparent elections are held under the supervision of an independent election commission.

This was stated by former MPA and member PPP’s Sindh Council, Mohammad Usman Kennedy, at a news conference at the press club on Wednesday.

He said fair and impartial elections were not possible in the presence of General Pervez Musharraf and that it was an irony that wanted MQM men carrying reward on their head were ruling Sindh.

“The terrorism unleashed in Karachi on May 12 has no parallel in the history of Sindh,” he said, adding neither the people nor media were safe today which was evident from the attack at a private TV channel. The place remained under attack for several hours while the administration and the LEAs stayed away from the scene he stated adding that he was an eye witness to killings in Karachi on May 12.

The PPP leaders, including Raza Rabbani, Sherry Rehman, Yousuf Talpur, Khursheed Shah, Naveed Kanwar, Dr Fehmida Mirza were on their way to airport under the leadership of Syed Qaim Ali Shah where rallies of the ANP, PML-N, PTI, MMA and other parties were to join them.

He said that they were ambushed at the Drig Colony overhead bridge by the ‘terrorists.’ Eight people fell on the ground when they were hit by the firing, he said, adding that they could retreat from there after great difficulty.

Kennedy ‘ridiculed the innocence being declared by the MQM leaders.’ He said that in Punjab not a single stone was hurled on the convoy of the CJP though the province was a stronghold of Choudhry Shujaat Hussain and Choudhry Pervez Illahi. However, in Karachi a reign of terror was unleashed on the visit of the CJP.

He said the MQM chief Altaf Hussain was on record having said that his party was not taken into confidence on the issue of the CJP, yet they planned a rally on the day when the CJP was to visit Karachi. He accused the MQM of destroying the peace of Karachi and Hyderabad over the years.

The PPP leader said that after the massacre of 45 people in Karachi, the city had now been handed over to rangers who had been given the orders of shoot to kill. He wondered why these orders were not given to the Rangers on May 12. He said the existence of country was at stake.

He said that the people had given their verdict by observing complete strike two days back which according to him was in fact a referendum against the rulers. He paid tribute to the CJP and lawyers’ community for their struggle.