KARACHI - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has announced observing the black day on Sunday (today) across Pakistan over statement of opposition leader in National Assembly Khursheed Shah.
Addressing a press conference at Khurshid Begum Secretariat on Saturday, MQM leader Abdul Haseeb made this announcement. MQM coordination committee member Amir Khan, Wasay Jalil and others were also present on the occasion.
Haseeb said that on October 17, 2014, PPP leader Khurshid Shah hurt the feelings of Muhajirs four times by repeatedly terming the word Mohajir an abuse which is outrageous. From that day, MQM decision committee had remained in discussion over the issue while people across the country were registering their protest over Shah’s statement. After discussing the issue from various aspects, the legal team of the MQM has submitted a petition in the court and judiciary should take notice of it.
Quoting various verses of Holy Quran and Hadiths regarding the sanctity as well as reverence associated with the act of migration in the name of Islam, he said Shah had shown his enmity towards Muhajirs.
Haseeb said insulting the word Muhajir was tantamount to committing a sin as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is Syedul Mohajireen as he is the one who led the first migration of Muslims from Mecca to Medina more than 1400 years ago. Also, a number of companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated to other parts of the world to spread the message of Islam.
To a question, he said the MQM legal committee had submitted a petition along with the fatwas of different clerics and now it was up to the judiciary to see whether the PPP leader’s statement comes in the Blasphemous Act or not. He appealed to Karachi Transporter Ittehad and business community of the City to support the MQM black day.
Just after the MQM announcement to observe Black Day, businesses started closing down in various parts of Karachi. The affected areas included Federal B Area, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, New Karachi, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Kharadar and Mithadar areas where shopkeepers, who used to run their businesses till late night, closed their commercial activities. Though no incident of aerial firing or forcible closing the shops was noticed in any part of the city but despite that the petrol pumps in various areas were also closed. Police and Rangers patrolling was also beefed up in the City. To avoid any untoward incident, police and Rangers were also asked to be alert and take stern action against the persons who are forcefully closing down the businesses in the City.
SEPARATE PROVINCE IN
‘ABANDONED SINDH’
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan Saturday said Mohajirs were the heirs of the land evacuated by Hindu migrants of the Sindh after partition of the sub-continent.
Talking to media here on Saturday, he said, “We want a separate province on the abandoned land of Sindh.” The MQM leader said they first created Pakistan and then migrated to the country from India. “Landlords and feudal occupied the abandoned land of Sindh,” he added. He said Afghans in Pakistan were not migrants but refugees.