DATE=11/21/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-241989
TITLE=PAKISTAN / M-Q-M (L)
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: POLICE IN PAKISTAN HAVE RAIDED THE OFFICES OF A KEY
POLITICAL PARTY IN THE COMMERCIAL CAPITAL, KARACHI AND ARRESTED
FIVE PEOPLE, INCLUDING TWO LAWMAKERS. SARAH HORNER REPORTS THAT
THE ARRESTS COME ONE DAY AFTER PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF
ANNOUNCED THE IMMEDIATE SETTING UP OF MILITARY COURTS IN A BID TO
TACKLE VIOLENCE IN THE CITY.
TEXT: THE POLICE RAID ON THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE MUTTAHIDA QAUMI
MOVEMENT, OR M-Q-M, TOOK PLACE EARLY SATURDAY. HOURS BEFORE THE
RAID (FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20), THE GOVERNMENT OF NAWAZ SHARIF INVOKED
A CONSTITUTIONAL ARTICLE GIVING THE MILITARY THE RIGHT TO BACK
THE PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION IN ENDING THE POLITICAL AND
SECTARIAN VIOLENCE IN KARACHI. THE M-Q-M IS THE MAJOR POLITICAL
PARTY IN THE SOUTHERN PROVINCE OF SINDH, OF WHICH KARACHI IS THE
CAPITAL CITY. THE M-Q-M WAS -- UNTIL LAST MONTH WHEN IT WITHDREW
SUPPORT -- A KEY ALLY IN PRIME MINISTER SHARIF'S GOVERNMENT.
SINDH'S ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN HEADED BY THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR
SINCE OCTOBER 30TH, WHEN THE PRIME MINISTER DISMISSED THE
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT AND IMPOSED DIRECT RULE.
MR SHARIF SAYS THE MOVES ARE TO COMBAT VIOLENCE IN KARACHI, WHICH
HAS KILLED 800 PEOPLE THIS YEAR. THE SHARIF GOVERNMENT ACCUSES
THE M-Q-M OF CAUSING THE BLOODSHED IN ORDER TO INCREASE ITS
POWERBASE AMONG ITS SUPPORTERS, THE MOHAJIRS. THE MOHAJIRS ARE
IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR DESCENDENTS WHO CAME TO PAKISTAN FROM INDIA
FOLLOWING PARTITION IN 1947.
MR SHARIF HAS ALSO ACCUSED THE M-Q-M OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE
DAYLIGHT KILLING LAST MONTH OF FORMER GOVERNOR, HAKIM SAID. THE
KILLING OF THE RENOWNED SOCIAL ACTIVIST CAUSED AN OUTCRY ACROSS
PAKISTAN.
ONE OF THE M-Q-M OFFICIALS ARRESTED SATURDAY IS PROVINCIAL
ASSEMBLY MEMBER SHOAIB BUKHARI. MR BUKHARI RECENTLY GAVE AN
INTERVIEW TO V-O-A IN KARACHI, DURING WHICH HE SAID THE M-Q-M IS
AGAINST DIRECT RULE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
// BUKHARI ACT //
WE ARE OPPOSING THIS BECAUSE IT IS JUST KILLING
DEMOCRACY AND WE HAVE GOT A DULY ELECTED GOVERNMENT IN
SINDH AND IT IS DEFINITELY A DICTATORIAL ACT ON THE PART
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SUCH
DISTURBANCE IN THE WHOLE PROVINCE THAT THE WHOLE
PROVINCE MAY BE PUT UNDER GOVERNOR'S RULE.
INTERVIEWER: AND YOU SAY THE M-Q-M IS GOING TO SEEK
LEGAL MEANS TO TRY AND REDRESS THIS ISSUE. HOW CONFIDENT
ARE YOU THAT YOU WILL GET A FAIR HEARING IN FROM THE
COURTS?
BUKHARI: IT IS A VERY PERTINENT QUESTION WHETHER WE HAVE
GOT HOPE FOR GOOD JUSTICE FROM THE HIGH COURT AND
SUPREME COURT. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OF PAKISTAN (PRIME MINISTER SHARIF) HAS TRIED TO MALIGN
THE M-Q-M BY FALSELY SAYING THE M-Q-M IS INVOLVED IN A
MURDER CASE. WE STILL HOPE WE GET A FAIR TRIAL.
// END ACT //
MR BUKHARI SPOKE TO V-O-A BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF MILITARY
COURTS IN KARACHI AND BEFORE HE WAS ARRESTED. HE CATEGORICALLY
DENIED ANY M-Q-M INVOLVEMENT IN THE DEATH OF HAKIM SAID AND SAYS
THE GOVERNMENT HAS DIFFERENT REASONS FOR ACTING AGAINST THE
M-Q-M.
// BUKHARI ACT //
THEY ARE AFRAID THAT IF THEY HOLD LOCAL BODIES ELECTIONS
DEFINITELY THE M-Q-M WOULD SWEEP IN THE PROVINCE OF
SINDH. MOREOVER, AS WE HAVE OPPOSED IN THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY THE 15TH AMENDMENT AND WE WERE GOING TO OPPOSE
THIS THING IN THE SENATE AS WELL, THEY WANT TO CRUSH THE
M-Q-M BY DOING SUCH UNLAWFUL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACTS,
LIKE IMPOSING GOVERNOR'S RULE.
// END ACT //
THE 15TH AMENDMENT IS PRIME MINISTER SHARIF'S PLANNED
CONSTITUTIONAL ALTERATION TO MAKE ISLAMIC SHARIA LAW THE SUPREME
LAW IN PAKISTAN. THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN PASSED THROUGH THE
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, WHERE THE GOVERNMENT HAS A COMFORTABLE
MAJORITY, BUT IT FACES A TOUGHER TIME IN THE UPPER PARLIAMENTARY
HOUSE, THE SENATE, WHERE THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE A MAJORITY.
MR SHARIF SAYS SHARIA LAW WILL IMPROVE LAW AND ORDER IN PAKISTAN,
BUT THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN OPPOSED BY OPPOSITION POLITICAL
PARTIES, ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS.
THEY SAY THE AMENDMENT IS AIMED AT GIVING DICTATORIAL POWERS TO
PRIME MINISTER SHARIF. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/GE
21-Nov-98 9:51 AM EST (1451 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
