DAWN / NEWS International, Karachi 08 October 1998 Thursday 16 Jamadi-us-Saani 1419 'Planted terrorists involved in violence' KARACHI: The deputy convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Coordination Committee, Senator Aftab Ahmed Sheikh has said the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and the transporters and traders extended full cooperation for a "peaceful" mourning day. He was talking to The News on Wednesday. When asked that cases of arson and firing were reported from different parts of the city, Aftab maintained: "They are planted terrorists and their only aim is to sabotage the 'peaceful' mourning of Muttahida over the killings of its workers. Their intentions can be understood as they make videos of such incidents." Aftab said he had lodged a strong protest with chief secretary Sindh, IG Sindh, DIG Karachi and commissioner Karachi on the night of October 6 that more than 50 vehicles were burnt and those involved could not be identified by the areas residents as they did not belong to Muttahida. He said during the violence Rangers and police were not present and were only deployed in Defence and Clifton. He said such activities were manipulated to tarnish the image of Muttahida and to convert the peaceful mourning into a violent one. He disclosed that Federal Minister for Provincial Coordination Chaudhry Nisar was arriving in Karachi on October 9 to hold a meeting with Muttahida where implementation of the accord signed between PML (N) and Muttahida would be discussed. He said the party would also demand issuance of a show cause notice to PML (N) MNA Mian Ejaz Shaffi as he had made allegations against Muttahida on the floor of the National Assembly. Muttahida parliamentary leader in Sindh Assembly, Dr Farooq Sattar said special steps were taken by the official agencies to bring violence into the peaceful mourning. He said Muttahida workers and supporters were strictly warned not to get involved in violence and so very few cases were reported from District Central. He claimed that some people involved in torching vehicles were handed over to police by the area people and some of them belonged to religious parties. Sattar said on Wednesday police opened fire in the jurisdictions of 15 city police stations while 300 party workers had been rounded up from Sindh and 150 from Karachi. ---------------------------------- Qazi accuses govt of patronising terrorism KARACHI: Expressing concern over mass murders of Karachiites and fearful environment of the city, Jama'at-e-Islami (JI) chief, Qazi Husain Ahmad has urged that Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif should resign immediately on failure of providing security to the people. He was talking to the newsmen at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport while leaving the city after a three-day visit. The JI chief held PML government responsible for killings in city and alleged that the terrorist activities were going on under the patronage of the government. He said no arrest of the killers were being made despite a large number of police and rangers personnel in the city. The policy of the Nawaz government for Karachi would lead to the termination of his government. To a question, Qazi said the citizens who saw daily murders were aware of the fact as to who were killing the innocent people. He said the Karachiites should play their role to change the situation and urged the people to get united against terrorism and point out the killers otherwise they would continue to face the disasters. Fearing that the democracy might come to an end and the country might face some major crisis, he stressed the need of termination of PML government and formation of an interim government comprising the people who fulfilled the requirement of Article 6 of the Constitution. He claimed that people were fed up of the policies of the government and only an interim government of proper people could restore their confidence. He appealed to the people to join hands with the Jama'at-e-Islami to strive for beating terrorism in the city. Earlier, Qazi along with JI Sindh Ameer, Asadullah Bhutto, Deputy City of Chief, Iftikhar Ahmad, Secretary Shaikh Rafiq Ahmad and others, including Abdul Sattar Afghani, Sarfaraz Ahmad visited the Madinatul Hikmat on Tuesday where Hakim Muhammad Said welcomed the guests. ---------------------------------- Altaf thanks people for supporting strike KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has thanked the people and particularly Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) for extending all out cooperation for the mourning day and making it a success all over Sindh. In a message from London, Altaf also appreciated the patience of Muttahida workers and supporters for not getting provoked. Condemning the killing of three Muttahida workers, he expressed his heartfelt condolence with the bereaved families and prayed to Almighty Allah to place the departed souls in eternal peace. Altaf also appealed to the prime minister and Sindh chief minister to stop the killings, arrest the killers and award them stern punishment. Meanwhile, members of Muttahida Coordination Committee including its three deputies Senator Aftab Ahmed Sheikh, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui MNA and Senator Nasreen Jalil have expressed gratitude to the people of Sindh for total support in the observance of the day of mourning on the targeted killings of party workers on October 5, says a Muttahida press release. They said the cold blooded murders were committed by the state sponsored and patronised terrorists working under the protection of the intelligence agencies. They said all those people who had been saddened and shaken by the targeted killings should resolve to continue the struggle for which already thousands of Haq Parast people had given their lives in order to achieve the political and constitutional goals of the party. The committee members demanded of the prime minister to arrest the killers and give them swift and exemplary punishment. ---------------------------------- Torching of vehicles: loss estimated at Rs 70 million KARACHI: No one, including the political leaders, can realise the difficulties faced by the people due to the burning of no less than 70 public transport vehicles by miscreants during the strike call. A loss of Rs 70 million has been estimated due to the torching of these 70 public transport and private vehicles in the last 48 hours. The worst sufferers are the people, particularly the students, as the metropolis is already short of public transport and after such incidents the transporters withdraw their vehicles from the roads. A student asked who was going to ensure the transporters' safety so that they could bring back their limited vehicles on the roads. On the other hand the Karachi administration, without taking into consideration the hardships of the citizens, has imposed a ban on pillion riding. Pillion riding has been banned several times but the killings continued unabated. ---------------------------------- 25 vehicles snatched KARACHI: Bandits looted over Rs 0.6 million, gold ornaments, electrical appliances and snatched 25 vehicles on Wednesday. Four armed men barged into the factory of Muhammad Azam in Samanabad. They collected Rs 561,900 from the owner and managed to flee. Two armed men riding a motorcycle intercepted a vehicle in Artillery Maidan and looted Rs 20,000, $500, 11,000 francs and valuables from Shafiq-uz-Zaman. Bandits looted Rs 16,000 and electrical appliances from Abdul Sattar's shop in Preedy; Rs 48,615 from Qamar Zaman in Shershah; cash, jewellery and valuables from Zubair in Malir City; cash, gold ornaments and electrical appliances from a house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and cash, jewellery and other valuables from a house in Landhi. ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Heroin recovered from ANF personnel SUKKUR: An ASI of the Anti-Narcotics Force, Islamabad, along with another person was arrested by CIA Police, Sukkur, at Lab-i-Mehran, Sukkur, on Wednesday and one kilogram heroin powder and two TT pistols were recovered from them. Reports said ASI Manzoor Phulpoto came here on leave. He was carrying heroin to his village along Ali when the CIA police tried to stop them. The two started firing on the CIA personnel and after a brief encounter both were arrested and one kilogram heroin powder and two TT pistols were recovered from their possession. ---------------------------------- Complete strike in rural Sindh on MQM's call Three injured in Hyderabad; three trains stoned HYDERABAD: Complete strike was observed on Wednesday in Hyderabad and its adjoining localities on the call of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). However, three young men received bullet injuries while three moving trains were stoned and fired upon. Also, a police mobile was torched. The Railway police stated that the Lahore-bound 105-Up Shalimar Express was stoned and fired upon by armed men near Gujrati Para railway crossing. As a result, the windows of train's engine were smashed, delaying the train by 30 minutes. Two more trains -- the 13-Up Awam Express and Mirpurkhas-bound Passenger Express -- were halted at Tando Yousuf Railway Crossing by a mob of several dozen youth, who pelted stones and fired in the air. However, no one was injured. Railway police have registered a case under Section 127 Railway Act, against unidentified persons for causing damage to the Awam Express. Throughout the day, the city echoed with gunfire and fire crackers. The youth also torched old tyres on the city roads. According to the police, a police mobile, which was parked in a workshop in the Latifabad Unit 2 for repair, was torched in the early hours of Wednesday. The SSP Hyderabad, Captain Zafar Iqbal Awan, taking a serious notice of the burning of police mobile, has ordered the suspension of the SHO A-Section Qamar-uz-Zaman, for his failure to save the vehicle from fire despite advance information. Two youth and a minor boy received bullet wounds, when unknown armed men resorted to firing on a "daboo" game shop, which was opened at Saira plaza, near Shalimar Cinema goods Naka. The injured were identified as Khalid, Rizwan and Rashid. Our correspondent adds from Sukkur: A complete strike was observed in Sukkur on Wednesday on the call of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to mourn the killings of Muttahida workers in Karachi. All the business centres, wholesale and retail markets, muhallah shops and small cabins selling Pans and cigarettes remained closed throughout the day. Police patrolling was intensified and pickets were formed but no untoward incident was reported from any part of the city. Meanwhile, MQM Zonal Organiser, Sukkur, Nooruddin Jahangir, condemned the killings of Muttahida workers and other innocent persons in Karachi. Addressing a Quraan Khawani congregation, he said the agencies were involved in the massacre of Muttahida workers. He said such acts of terrorism could not crush the Muttahida and the party would not back out of its accord with the PML. Later, the local leaders of the Muttahida demanded of the government to arrest the killers immediately and register an FIR against the interior minister. Our correspondent adds from Mirpurkhas: A complete strike was observed in Mirpurkhas and its adjoining towns on the call of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement to mourn the killing of its activists. All the shopping centres and markets remained closed while traffic was thin. The public and private transport on various routes remained suspended. A passenger train coming from Hyderabad was pelted with stones near Mirpurkhas by miscreants. However, no casualty was reported. Youth burnt tyres at various chowks and roads in the city. Meanwhile, district administration has put off the scheduled closing ceremony of cultural and educational fair to Thursday. A Family Planning Department vehicle was fired upon near the MCM Shopping Complex, causing damage to the vehicle. However, the occupants remained unhurt. Reports from Digri, Jhudo and Khipro said a complete strike was also observed there. Our correspondent from Nawabshah adds: Compete strike was observed in Nawabshah on Wednesday. All the shopping centres, markets and bazars remained closed and traffic remained thin. The Mutahidda members wore black bands to express their resentment over the killings. Traffic also remained thin on the National Highway. Our correspondent adds from Kotri: Local traders, transporters and common people responded to the strike call given by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). Life was completely paralysed in the city and only few vehicles plied on the National Highway. All educational institutions, banks and other financial institutions were also closed. The local administration had made tight security arrangements to meet any eventuality. ---------------------------------- 73 activists of religious parties nabbed in massive crackdown FAISALABAD: Under orders of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the Faisalabad police conducted an extensive midnight crack down in the city and apprehended 73 activists and workers of local religious parties Tuesday night while 14 top religious leaders and workers have been detained for a specific period. The arrested workers belong to Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Sipah-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehrik Jafaria. The crackdown against these religious workers has been taken with a view to eliminate the network of extremist religious parties and help restore peace in the province. A large number of police commandoes took part in the midnight operation in the city. ---------------------------------- Karamat resigns, Musharraf new COAS Resignation follows Karamat's criticism of political leadership and suggestion for NSC ISLAMABAD: In an unprecedented development, powerful Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Army Chief General Jehangir Karamat resigned on Wednesday following his strong criticism of Nawaz Sharif administration and a call to constitute National Security Council. Gen Karamat is the first Army Chief who has stepped down months before expiry of his tenure in the heat of a controversy over his statement. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has accepted his request for early retirement and appointed Corps Commander Mangla Lieutenant General Pervez Musharraf, after promoting him as Chief of the Army Staff with immediate effect. ---------------------------------- ISLAMABAD: Two schoolgirls kidnapped in Islamabad ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: Two schoolgirls were kidnapped on Tuesday afternoon by three unidentified persons when they were returning home. The incident occurred in Margalla police station area. It was learnt that the three persons, armed with automatic weapons, pushed the girls into the white Toyota Corolla they had come by and sped away before the passersby could take note of the car registration number. Both class-mates studied at the Government Girls Secondary School. Police had not found any clue to the kidnappers till Wednesday morning, it was learnt. ----------------------------------