Minimising security risk: MQM activists, supporters to skip airport, assemble at Jinnah Ground

KARACHI: Authorities have refused to provide security to the crowd expected to turn up at the Karachi airport to receive Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Imran Farooq’s body scheduled to arrive on Saturday morning from London, sources said on Thursday. Considering intelligence agencies’ reports, security officials had suggested the MQM leadership to ask party activists and supporters to refrain from gathering at the airport for minimising risk. Following that, the MQM leadership has directed party activists and supporters to assemble at the Jinnah Ground in Azizabad where Dr Farooq’s funeral will be held. Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik will reach Karachi on Friday (today) and most probably attend Dr Farooq’s funeral the next day. Authorities have yet to finalise security arrangements for the funeral, and they are considering transporting Dr Farooq’s body from the airport to the Jinnah Ground by helicopter. The Sindh Home Department has directed security officials to increase the strength of security personnel on the occasion. Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza has urged the law enforcement agencies to take every possible step to avert any untoward incident. He also directed to deploy extra police contingents with plainclothes personnel from the airport to the graveyard, besides beefing up police picketing and increasing random snap checking. Capital City Police Officer Fayyaz Laghari said 3,000 policemen would be deployed for security during Dr Farooq’s funeral. He also said special monitoring cells have been set up in the offices of East and West deputy inspector generals. The bomb disposal squad will examine the whole route before the funeral procession moves forward. MQM leaders and Malik will receive Dr Farooq’s body on Saturday, and his funeral prayer will be offered the same day, while his body will be laid to rest at Shuhada Qabristan, Yasinabad. atif raza

(source:dailytimes.com.pk)

Dr Farooq’s funeral arrangements made

In view of security concerns, the MQM did not disclose its plan about transporting the body of the slain leader from the Karachi airport to the Jinnah Ground, where the funeral prayer will be held on Saturday.

An MQM statement said that the funeral prayer of the slain leader would be offered at the Jinnah Ground after Zuhar prayer and he would be buried in the Shuhada graveyard in Yasinabad.

It said that all arrangements regarding traffic control, guidance to participants and cleanliness arrangements on the route of the funeral procession, etc, had been completed.

It said arrangements to ensure maximum security had also been finalised and hundreds of workers of the MQM would assist the local administration in this regard.

Malik visits Jinnah Ground

Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited the Jinnah Ground on Friday to review the overall security arrangements.

According to an MQM press release, the interior minister arrived at the Jinnah Ground, Azizabad, in a helicopter. He was received by members of the MQM coordination committee, including Anis Kaimkhani and Dr Saghir Ahmed, who briefed him on the security arrangements.

Mr Malik and the coordination committee members took a round of the venue and directed the authorities to take all-out measures for the security of the Jinnah Ground and adjacent localities.

Later, he visited the ‘Yadgar-i-Shuhada’, a monument in the Jinnah Ground.

Meanwhile, the interior minister also called on Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan at the Governor’s House on Friday and discussed security arrangements for Dr Farooq’s funeral.

According a press release, the minister briefed the governor on the security steps taken by the law-enforcement agencies, the law and order situation as well as relations between the Pakistan People’s Party and the MQM.

They expressed their determination to take action against criminal elements, particularly the land and drug mafia and those involved in the business of illegal weapons.

Complete ban on arms

The Sindh government has placed a ban on carrying all kinds of weapons in the province for the next 48 hours beginning on Friday midnight.

A notification issued here in this regard stated that the government of Sindh had suspended all permission letters for carrying weapons issued in relaxation of a ban under Section 144 of the criminal procedure code for 48 hours beginning on Friday midnight and “there will be a complete ban on carrying all kinds of weapons”.

Traffic routes announced

The capital city traffic police announced on Friday alternative routes for vehicular traffic on Saturday for the funeral of Dr Farooq.

According to the traffic plan, the road users from Liaquatabad to Sohrab Goth should proceed via Nazimabad No 4, Board Office, Five-Star Chowrangi, Nagan Chowrangi and onward, and turn right from Liaquatabad No 10 towards Civic Centre to reach their destinations.

The road users from Sohrab Goth to Ayesha Manzil and Liaquatabad No 10 have been asked to proceed via Sohrab Goth, left turn on the overhead bridge towards Nagan Chowrangi, Sher Shah Soori Road and left turn onto the Shah Waliullah Road, to Fazal Mill, Gulshan-i-Iqbal to reach their destinations.

It said the drivers had been asked to choose their destinations by adopting alternative routes to avoid inconvenience.

(source:dawn.com)

Imran Farooq’s funeral prayer to be held in London today

LONDON (updated on: 2010-11-04 11:55:50 PST):

The namaz-e janaza of late leader of MQM Dr. imran Farooq would be offered on Thursday after the Zuhr prayers in London. The dead body of Dr Farooq would reach Karachi on Saturday, Aaj News reported.

The funeral ceremony of Dr. Imran farooq would be offered at the Handan Central Mosque, London in between 6.30 and 7 according to Pakistan’s local time. Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik would reach Islamabad today and chair a high level meeting to finalize the security arrangements for Dr. Imran Farooq’s funeral. On the other hand the dead body of Dr. Imran Farooq would reach Karachi on Saturday which would be received by MQM leaders and Rehman Malik. His namaz-e janaza would be offered on the same day while his body would be laid to rest in the Yasinabad graveyard in Karachi.

MQM has suspended all its political activities from 4th November till 7th November due to the funeral and other after-death prayer services for Dr. Imran Farooq.

(source:brecorder.com)

Imran Farooq murder linked to rows within MQM party

The Scotland Yard investigation into the murder in London of the leading Pakistani politician Dr Imran Farooq has been told that rows within his own party may have led to his assassination.

Farooq, 50, was stabbed to death earlier this monthduring an attack in which he was also beaten near his home in Edgware, north London. Farooq was a senior figure in Pakistan's MQM (Muttahida Quami Movement) party, and was in exile in London at the time of his death. The murder is being investigated by Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism branch because of the political dimension to the killing.

Sources say intelligence suggests his death was linked to rows within the MQM.

Farooq, once prominent in MQM, had taken a back seat. A senior Pakistani source said he may have been about to endorse or join a new party set up by Pakistan's former military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf. The source said of the motive: "It lies within the MQM. Dr Farooq was probably going to join Musharraf."He is vowing to leave his own London exile and return home to launch a fresh bid for power. His new party, the All Pakistan Muslim League, will launch its programme in London later this week.

Asked by the Sunday Telegraph about his reaction to Farooq's murder, Musharraf said: "It is terrible that such an assassination could happen in a place like London."

Farooq, who was married with two young sons, claimed UK asylum in 1999 alongside Altaf Hussain, the MQM's leader. Hussain, who also lives in exile in London, has said "enemies of the MQM" killed Farooq and they will try to kill him. Pakistan's media reported him as saying on Friday: "Now the enemies of the movement are after my life, but I want to tell them I am not afraid of anyone, whether it's a superpower like the United States or its Nato allies or their Pakistani agents … I fear the Almighty Allah and will never bow down before the conspirators even if they get my British citizenship rescinded."

Police in London are still hunting an attacker who, one witness said, appeared to be an Asian man. Analysts say the MQM has longstanding rivalries with ethnic Pashtun and Sindhi parties in Karachi. The MQM has also been riven by occasional internecine violence.

Before entering the UK, Farooq spent seven years on the run in Pakistan from criminal charges while the MQM was engaged in a violent battle for control of Karachi. He remained a key party figure. While MQM leader Hussain is protected by private guards and rarely appears in public following death threats, colleagues said Farooq never believed he was at risk and had played a smaller role in the party since the birth of his sons, now aged five and three.

Farooq was attacked on his way home from his job at a chemist's shop. He was found near his home after neighbours witnessed what they believed was a fight. Paramedics were called but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

MQM party officials in the party's stronghold of Karachi declared a 10-day period of mourning. Previous political killings have triggered riots and deadly clashes between rival factions. Police are keeping an open mind as to the identity of Farooq's killer and their investigation continues.

(source:guardian.co.uk)