Move to file case against Muttahida

KARACHI, April 26: The Muhajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) on Saturday submitted an application to the Frere police station seeking a case against senior leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for allegedly attacking its women demonstrators outside the Karachi Press Club last month, which left several injured.

Police sources said that though the department had officially received the application, it was a “little early” to comment on the fate of the party’s plea.

“Now the application will be forwarded to the police high-ups for a legal opinion, which will establish if the substance provided in it allows an FIR or not,” said a senior police official.

He said since the incident took place more than a month ago, the police required enough grounds from the complainant to register a case.

“In such a situation where the process takes time, initially, an application is moved for the investigators’ consideration before lodging a proper FIR,” he added.

Apart from the Muttahida leadership, the MQM-H application also wants police officers concerned to be indicted in the case, who, allegedly, ignored the violence against the women activists.

“We have nominated Dr Farooq Sattar, Anwar Alam, Faisal Sabzwari, Shoaib Bukhari and Wasay Jalil in our application to be booked under an FIR,” said MQM-H’s Rida Asim, the complainant and in-charge of the party’s women’s wing.

“Besides, Feroz, who is the in-charge of the Burnes Road sector of the MQM, has also been named in the application. The senior leadership of the MQM planned the attack, which was executed by the members of its Burnes Road sector.”

She said though the police officials had responded positively and received the application, the party would move the court of law if the law enforcers avoided action on her request.

A rival group of women engaged in a brawl with the women demonstrators belonging to the MQM-H outside the Karachi Press Club on March 12, which resulted in injuries to female members of the party.

Later, armed youths jumped into the fray and fired into the air to stop cameramen from taking pictures and scare away media personnel covering the demonstration. The driver of a private TV channel’s van, who was waiting for his colleagues covering the event, was kidnapped from outside the KPC by some six armed men and later released.

“We had also tried earlier right after the incident but received no response from the authorities concerned. This time we have moved an application to pursue the case. If it doesn’t work we will definitely move court,” said Ms Asim.

http://dawn.com/2008/04/27/local9.htm