KARACHI: Dr Zulfikar Mirza, the outgoing home minister who is a senior vice president of the Pakistan People’s Party, has said that his political opponents underestimated his price by asking for his ministry, insisting that had the party leadership asked him for his life, he would have offered it for the party of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto without the slightest hesitation.He dispelled the impression of being indisposed and going abroad for medical treatment — as was suggested a day earlier by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah in a joint media talk with Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad — and said he had in fact applied for leave of absence three months back to meet his daughter.

He asserted that he was not running away, for he was not afraid of anyone. “During the previous government when cases of murder were instituted against me, I preferred to suffer incarceration rather than run away and live a fugitive’s life for 12 years,” he said.

It was unwise of those who thought that he would leave his country, Dr Mirza thundered.

The outgoing home minister, whose unguarded statements against coalition partners of the government are said to have cost him the ministry, was speaking to party activists and members of the defunct Lyari Peace Committee who had gathered there to give him a warm welcome on his visit to the area after relinquishing the charge.

He said it did not make any difference as to who remained in power. He added that if truth be told that it was the people of Lyari whose indefatigable support brought the PPP into power and who provided refuge in 1947 to those who had come here without shelter.

He said those accusing the Lyariites of being involved in extortion should declare under oath as to who were the ones with white flags collecting donations, hides of sacrificial animals and money in the name of widows and orphans under coercion for the past 25 to 30 years.

He said everyone knew that the Lyariites did not collect protection money. Far from it, he said, adding that they had been paying it.

Referring to the warm reception given to him on his arrival in Lyari despite giving up the ministry, Dr Mirza pledged to continue to extend full support to the Lyariites.

He said he would prefer to walk to the gallows following in the footsteps of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto for the people of Lyari instead of surrendering to their opponents.

Accompanying him during his visit to Lyari, PPP MNA Quadir Patel, who is also the chairman of the standing committee on interior, said after relinquishing the responsibility of home ministry Dr Mirza had become more powerful with all the brave Lyariites behind him.

Former chief of the defunct Lyari Peace Committee Ozair Jan Baloch demanded that the chief justice take suo motu notice of the tragedies of April 9 and May 12 to take the culprits to task.

He said that the Lyariites would not accept any operation in Lyari on the wish of a coalition partner.

He said that if any operation was at all necessary, retired army officers should be posted as station house officers in Lyari, Keamari, Korangi, Orangi and other parts of the city to launch an impartial operation simultaneously across the city.