KARACHI - Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has announced to observe Thursday (today) as mourning day over the extrajudicial killing of party worker Sohail Ahmed whose body was recovered from the Mochko Police Station here on Wednesday.
The MQM coordination committee has appealed the business community and transporters to suspend activities during mourning to show solidarity with the party. Following the call of MQM`s mourning day Sindh Tajir Ithed and other traders association has announced closure of business activities including Karachi Transport Ittehad also backed MQM.
Meanwhile, Private Schools Management Association announced that all schools will remain closed on Thursday, furthermore exams were also postponed in various educational institutes of the city scheduled on the day.
MQM`s deputy parliamentary Khuwajha Izhar Ul Hassan talking to the media outside the Eidhi mortuary along with the party legislators alleged that the black sheep present in the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) had adopted revenge policies against party and were carrying out the custodial killing of MQM workers. He further alleged groups presented in the LEAs for carrying out action against the party on the order of the government.
He said this is not the first instance that party is facing  extra judicial killing of its worker, about 36 of party workers has been killed in detention of LEAs. He informed that deceased Sohail Ahmed was the in-charge of the Society sector Unit-64 and was picked up by the LEAs personnel in plainclothes outside on December 15, 2014. The family along with MQM MNA submitted an application of Sohail missing in Ferozabad Police Station, further a petition regarding the sudden disappearance of party worker was filed in Sindh High Court on December 16, 2014, MQM leader told adding that Sohail’s body was dumped in the limits of Mochoko Police Station and the Post-mortem report says that Sohail was shot twice- in the head and other in the chest.
Khawaja further accused Sindh provincial government over its hostile attitude and said that the provincial rulers have shown biased approach over killing of MQM workers.  He also criticised federal government for the deteriorating law and order situation of the city.
We have raised the issue of missing worker on the floor of national and provincial assemblies even party senators boycotted the session over the issue. Several press conferences regarding the issue was held while party using its democratic right also stage the demonstration to register its protest over the activities of the LEAs involved in disappearance of the MQM workers.  But it is unfortunate that in the era of democratic rule in the country, MQM is being politically victimized for raising its voice against extortion and law and order situation in the city, he added.
Lashing out Sindh government, police and Rangers MQM Chief Altaf Hussain demanded the Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and federal interior minster to take notice of extra judicial killing of MQM workers.
In a statement on Wednesday, MQM Chief strongly condemned the arrest of the party worker by the LEAs and later killing of MQM`s worker Sohail Ahmed. He said total number of extra-judicial murders of his party’s workers has hit 36 in Karachi while dozen of workers were still missing.
Hussain alleged that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government, police department and Rangers were targeting party rather than criminals against the backdrop of ongoing operation to eradicate Karachi from terrorists and criminals.