ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement legislators may continue their boycott of the joint sitting of parliament on Wednesday in protest against the killing of an activist of the party and his brother and failure of police to arrest the killers.
“Although we announced boycott of Tuesday’s joint sitting only, we can extend it if the government fails to take practical steps to arrest the killers,” said Haider Abbas Rizvi, MQM’s deputy parliamentary leader in the National Assembly. But, he said a final decision would be taken on Wednesday, depending on the situation in Karachi.
Talking to Dawn, Mr Rizvi said the party had turned down a request made on Tuesday by Interior Minister Rehman Malik to end the boycott, although he had announced the formation of an investigation team. He said the party legislators had told the minister that the MQM wanted results and not committees.
After staging a walkout from the joint session of two houses of parliament discussing new terms of engagements with the United States, the Muttahida legislators held a protest sit-in at the main entrance of the Parliament House and remained there for about two hours.
Leaders and representatives of various political parties, both from the ruling coalition and the opposition, visited the protesting MQM members and assured them of their support. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-Q secretary general Senator Mushahid Hussain and MNA Capt (retd) Safdar of the PML-N remained there for some time.
Ayatullah Durrani of the PPP also came there and expressed solidarity with the protesting MQM legislators.
Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, Mr Rizvi said his party knew the importance of the agenda of the joint session, but it could not remain silent on the killing of its workers by criminals. He was of the view that in the absence of a stable interior security, there was no use of formulating an independent foreign policy.
Mr Rizvi said that parliamentarians were discussing ways of strengthening foreign policy at a time when there was no internal security in the country. The MQM had boycotted the session because as it could not leave their workers at the mercy of criminals, he added.
He demanded immediate arrest of the accused they identified as Ahmed Ali and called for strict action against his gang which was allegedly involved in extortion and target killing.
Talking to reporters after visiting the protesting MQM legislators, the interior minister said he had constituted a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the assassination of the MQM worker and his brother. The JIT would be headed by an officer of the level of inspector general and assisted by officials of the FIA and other intelligence agencies, he said, adding that the team had been asked to submit its report within 48 hours.
Mr Malik said he had been in contact with the Sindh home department and the name of Ahmed Ali had been placed on the exit control list. He termed it a targeted killing. He said the director general of Rangers had been asked not to conduct raids in Karachi without permission of the provincial chief secretary.
APP Adds: The interior minister has directed the chief secretary and Sindh IG to enhance security and patrolling in Karachi, especially in sensitive areas, to ensure people’s safety.
According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, Mr Malik directed police and Rangers to arrest all criminals involved in recent killings and bring them to justice. “Nobody has the right to take law into his hands; a thorough investigation should be made and responsibility be fixed,” he said.