KARACHI (NNI): Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday lauded Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for acting as a bridge on the matter of proposed constitutional amendment.
Speaking to media at Karsaz (the site where as many as 170 people were killed upon return of former premier Benazir Bhutto’s from self-imposed exile on Oct 18, 2007), Murad Ali Shah recounted ‘Charter of Democracy’ by saying that establishment of constitutional courts was an unfinished part of it which needed to be done now.
CM Murad said the PPP was ready to sit down with everyone on the matter of constitutional amendment while lauding the Maulana for his stance.
Recalling the Karsaz incident, the chief minister said that 17 years ago, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto landed at Karachi Airport after ending her exile.
“Countless people across Pakistan gathered to receive their beloved leader,” he said. He added that due to the presence of a sea of people on the road, the convoy of Shaheed Mohterma Benazir Bhutto took 10 hours to reach Karsaz, where it met an explosion.
Though hundreds of party workers were killed in the blast, even then, a large number of party workers gathered around Shaheed Benazir Bhutto to protect her, Mr Shah said and termed it the extent of love and respect of the people for their leader.
Talking about Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s courage, Murad Shah said that the following morning after the incident (19 October 2007), which claimed 180 lives, she visited the injured workers at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and then went to Lyari to offer condolence to the families of the slain party workers.
The CM said that 180 workers were killed, and with their blood and the sacrifice of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, democracy returned to this country. “This democracy is priceless as our great leader Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto traded her own life for it,” he said.
To a question, Murad Shah said that the killers of our workers at Karsaz and of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto could not be traced because the crime scene was washed to hinder any thorough investigation. “I had given details of the Karsaz incident to the CTD for investigation, but they told me that the ground evidence was not available, therefore it could not be traced,” he said.
The Chief Minister categorically stated that the stance taken by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led government on the incident of Dr Shahnawaz Kumbhar has never been witnessed before in this country; “even then Section 144 was violated by those who call themselves ‘rawadar’ or tolerant to protest the incident.”
To a question, the CM said that the Sindh government, taking a clear stand disclosed the initial report of Dr Shahnawaz incident. “Had the government not prepared a genuine report of the murder within a day, the people would not have been able to learn the facts of the tragic incident,” he said and added this was a manifestation of his government’s commitment and sincerity.
“We included the names of senior police officers in the FIR and removed them from their postings and brought them under investigation, even though some people, instead of appreciating the government and its efforts, are playing their politics,” he said.
Murad Shah revealed that Section 144 was imposed against protests and demonstrations on the day the Rawadri March was scheduled as a religious party had given a call to counter the protest. “This was a serious situation and to avoid any untoward incident the Sindh government requested the organisers of the ‘Rawadari March’ to postpone their protest but they preferred to violate Section 144,” he said.
“This [Dr Shahnawaz] was an unfortunate incident, and no such incident has ever happened on this land [Sindh],” the CM said and added, “Sindh is the land of Sufis, who believed and preached that humanity is the beautiful, loveable, valuable, and respectable creation of the Almighty Allah; therefore, bloodshed under any pretext is forbidden in Islam as well as in all religions.”
“We would not allow anybody or the mob to take the law into their own hands,” he said and went on to say that we have an established investigation system and judiciary to decide the veracity of the allegation,” he said.
Mr Shah said that, through the media, he had sincerely offered his apology to the participants of the Rawadari March for what they went through. He further added that despite having violated Section 144, he has ordered an impartial inquiry into the incident. “I talked to the organisers of the Rawadari March and in return, they started responding to the government through the media which was indecent and unreasonable.”
Talking about a constitutional amendment, the CM said that Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto is trying to develop Conesus on each and every proposed clause. NNI
