Muttahida supports May 12 strike

KARACHI - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Rabita Committee unanimously backed the strike on May 12
that was called by Haq Parast Amn (Peace) Jirga.
MQM itself has not called for any shutdown strike. But we have assured our support to the call of Haq Parast
Amn Jirga for a wheel-jam and shutdown strike, Waseem Aftab, MQMs Pakistan-based Rabita Committee
member told The Nation on Monday.
He said that Haq Parast Amn (peace) Jirga had met the members of MQM Rabita Committee and requested
the MQM to observe May 12 as a Black Day as 16 workers of the MQM had also been killed in the May 12
bloodbath.
Earlier, Anees Ahmed advocate, London-based MQM Rabita Committee member, said that both chapters of
the committee had held meetings, thrashed out current situation and finally decided to support the call for
commercial shutdown. He said the strike would be peaceful and vehicles on emergency services such as
ambulances and body-carrying vehicles would move as usual.
To a question, Waseem Aftab said that Haq Parast Amn (Peace) Jirga had requested the party to support their
strike call. MQM has come under immense pressure not to bow down to those who want to destroy peace in the
provincial capital, he added.
He said it was a conspiracy and MQM chief Altaf Hussain would disclose the facts about the conspiracy on May
12.
He contested the statement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan who recently claimed that more
than 10 workers of PTI were also killed on May 12. Khan has not been able to show the names of those 10
workers. MQM is the only party that has presented the bio-data of its workers who were killed in firing on its
rally, he said.
To a question, Waseem Aftab said he had no knowledge if the government had made contacts to call-off the
May 12 strike.
Awami National Party (ANP) has also called for a wheel jam and shutdown strike on May 12 to commemorate
the martyrs of May 12, 2007.
Interestingly, both MQM and the ANP are part of the PPP-led coalition government. PPP and the ANP were
allies in 2007 when their attempt to stage a rally to receive Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was
aborted. MQM was part of the PML-Q-led government and MQM also showed its public support by staging a
rally.
PPP workers were also killed but now PPP leadership doesnt want to observe commercial shutdown to mark
the day. PPPs efforts to persuade the ANP to call off its strike has been failed and now came a call from
pro-MQM Jirga for shutdown strike.