Terrorists targeting witnesses of Ayesha Manzil blast: Altaf

Karachi
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) alleged on Friday that banned militant organisations were targeting party workers and others who had witnessed the Ayesha Manzil bombing.
The MQM chief Altaf Hussain and members of the coordination committee claimed that party worker Nadeem Ahmed, who was shot dead in Orangi Town on Thursday, had been killed by terrorists for testifying against them in the Ayesha Manzil bombing case.
They said that the deceased party worker had been injured in the Ayesha Manzil blast and had recorded his statement in court and also with the law-enforcers. They said he had been receiving threats from militants for testifying against them and identifying them.
Seven people had died and 45 other were injured when a remote-controlled bomb planted on a motorbike exploded near Ayesha Manzil on January 1, 2013.
In a press conference, coordination committee member Haider Abbas Rizvi claimed that around 100 party workers and sympathisers had been killed so far my militant outfits for raising their voice against religious fanaticism and terrorism plaguing the country.
He said on Thursday MQM worker Nadeem Ahmed had been sitting at a milk shop when four to five gunmen shot him dead after confirming his identity. According to Rizvi, the deceased had identified the culprits of Ayesha Manzil bombing in an anti-terrorism court and had been continuously receiving threats from militant groups.
Moreover, he said, two more eye witnesses, SP Chaudhry Aslam Khan and MQM MPA Manzar Imam had already been martyred in separate attacks over the past couple of years.
Reiterating the stance of his party, Rizvi demanded from the Chief of Army Staff and intelligence agencies to expand Operation Zarb-e-Azb from the tribal areas to Karachi and the borders of Afghanistan.
“Terrorists are targeting professionals and MQM leaders in Punjab while the authorities keep ignoring our concerns,” said Rizvi. “The party is being punished for its unwavering stand against religious extremism and this is why we also endorsed the formation of military courts. However, such cowardly attempts will not deter the MQM from its aim of rooting out terrorism from the country.”
Meanwhile, MQM chief Altaf Hussain in a statement issued from London also voiced strong condemnation of the murder of Nadeem Ahmed, a member of the party’s Orangi Town sector, by “terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi”.
He said the deceased had been injured in the Ayesha Manzil blast and was one of the prime witnesses of the incident. “Nadeem had also recorded his statement at the CIA Centre in Karachi about the bombing and had identified the attackers who belonged to Tehreek-e-Taliban and Lashker-e-Jhangvi,” said the MQM chief in his statement.
He said terrorists killed Ahmed when he had been sitting at a shop with two innocent party sympathisers.
He said terrorists had also claimed the lives of three MQM MPAs: Syed Raza Haider, Manzar Imam and Sajid Qureshi.
The MQM chief demanded from the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Sindh governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, DG ISI General Rizwan Akhtar, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and DG Rangers Sindh Major-General Bilal to take stern action against Taliban, Lashker-e-Jhangvi and other banned militant outfits who kept challenging the writ of the state in Karachi.
He said the culprits should be arrested immediately and presented in the court of law.
The MQM chief also expressed his heartfelt condolences with the bereaved family of slain Nadeem Ahmed and other MQM workers, saying that he stood with them in these times of grief and sorrow.
Meanwhile, MQM Coordination Committee also condemned the killing of the worker of MQM Orangi Town Sector Nadeem Ahmed and demanded the government and concerned authorities to immediately arrest the terrorists. It said that MQM workers were being killed despite ongoing Karachi-operation.
Earlier in the day, coordination committee member Kaif-ul-Wara, MPAs Rehan Zafar and Saifuddin Khalid visited the site where Nadeem Ahmed was killed and interviewed witnesses. They also visited the two party sympathisers who were injured to inquire about their health. sass