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KARACHI, May 12: Various political parties on Monday organised rallies and meetings to express solidarity with the victims of the May 12, 2007 carnage and observed the day as a “black day”.
Speakers at different gatherings held in this connection unanimously called for the arrest of the perpetrators of the bloodshed.
A black day rally was organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami, Karachi, which marched from the Empress Market to the Regal Chowk.
Speakers deplored that even after the passage of one year, no inquiry had so far been conducted to expose the culprits. They called for the arrest of the elements responsible for the May 12 killings and demanded their immediate expulsion from the Sindh government.
Addressing the participants of the rally, who were holding banners with slogans and party flags of JI, Pakhtoonkwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), and Shabab-i-Milli, the JI central deputy chief, Liaquat Baloch, said that nobody could ever forget the May12 tragedy when over 50 innocent citizens were killed on day of the arrival of the deposed chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, by the goons of a political party at the behest of President Pervez Musharraf who himself had termed it a manifestation of the people’s power during his address to participants of a rally on the Constitutional Avenue in Islamabad.
Recalling an APC held in London, which was attended by all the opposition parties, he said that all the political forces had termed MQM a terrorist organisation and expressed their determination that they would neither patronise the Muttahida nor include it in the government.
However, he deplored that despite gaining the required majority in the Sindh Assembly, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had agreed to share power with the MQM.
The JI leader said that by visiting the MQM headquarters ‘Nine Zero’, the PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, had betrayed the victims of May 12.
He also criticised the delays made by the government in restoring the deposed chief justice and other judges. He said the nation wanted the restoration of the judges through an executive order but attempts were being made to hoodwink the masses.
The JI leader said that first April 30 was set as the deadline for the purpose then it was extended till May 12, which had also passed without any breakthrough on the issue.
Welcoming the decision of Nawaz Sharif to withdraw the PML-N ministers from the cabinet, he said that after accepting the PCO judges, it was not enough to quit the cabinet; they must part ways from the ruling coalition as well.
He said on Feb 18 the people of the country had rejected President Pervez Musharraf and his supporters but the ruling alliance had been pursuing the same policies.
He warned that if the ruling alliance would not come up to the mandate of the people, the parliament could not last long and it might lose the right to remain in power.
Mr Baloch pledged that lawyers would not be left alone in their ongoing struggle.
Hakim Khan Mandokhel of the PKMAP said that we could not forget the martyrs of May 12 as democracy in the country had been restored because of their blood.
Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, Siddique Rathore, Nasrullah Shaji, Halim Khan Ghauri, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Hameedullah Khan advocate, Yunus Barai also spoke.
‘Probe team set up’
A Quran Khawani was organised for the victims of May 12 by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) at the People’s Secretariat.
Talking to the newsmen, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah termed May 12 as the blackest day in the history of the country.
On the occasion, the chief minister also announced that in the follow-up of the assassination of the Pakistan People’s Party chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, on December 27, 2007, the cases registered against thousands of people would be withdrawn and in this connection instructions had already been issued.
Labour Party Pakistan
The Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) also organised a rally
in front of the Karachi Press Club where participants later lighted earthen lamps to express solidarity with the May 12 victims.
Speakers at the gathering urged the relevant authorities to expose and arrest the murderers and their patrons.
Nasir Mansoor said that though during the tenure of President Musharraf hundreds of people had been murdered in Balochistan, Wana, Bajaur, Swat, Hangu and other parts of the country, the carnage inflicted in Karachi on May 12, 2007 had no parallel.
Azra Perveen said people were being killed in Balochistan and Wana by the armed forces who claimed that these
people were terrorists but the military dictator and his allies had not come up with any
reason under which they had murdered more than 50 people on May 12.
Shehla Rizwan said that most of the May 12 victims were factory workers who were either going to or returning from their work places.
Sarwar Niazi demanded that a high-level judicial probe be instituted into the May 12, 2007 mayhem and the murderers and their patrons be arrested, tried and punished according to the law.
