MQM won’t be allowed to start terrorism again, warns Murad

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had given dead bodies in gunny bags to Karachi in the past and they will not be allowed to start terrorism again in the guise of politics.

This he said late on Wednesday night while talking to media at the Sabri Nihari hotel in Liaquatabad, where he had nihari, tikka and naan during a tour of the city to inspect ongoing development works launched under a Karachi package.

He was accompanied by Minister for Local Government Jam Khan Shoro, Minister for Information Syed Nasir Shah and Minister for P&D Saeed Ghani and MPA javed Nagori. He said the people of Karachi elected the MQM but what they gave them in return was bodies in gunny bags. “Now they have every right like others to do politics, but their politics will not allowed to be mixed up with terrorism,” he said and added: “We have restored peace in this city after great sacrifice and hard work; therefore, nobody would be allowed to hijack this city at any cost.”

Shah, pointing to his watch, told media that it was “almost 12.45am and still the city is awake, people are enjoying food at their favourite restaurants, not only with their friends but with their families.”

He termed it “a great change in which the confidence of the people seems to have been restored, the lights of the city remain on in the markets till late night, glories of our food streets have returned and people are enjoying their life”.

The chief minister said: “This was the task his government had taken up and achieved it with the support of the people of Karachi.” He said he had always advised the factions of MQM to unite and to do politics for the welfare of the people.

Replying to a question, Shah that the purpose of having dinner at Sabir Nihari near Nine-Zero, once the headquarters of the MQM, was just to meet people, and see how they were enjoying their life just after passing through a dark phase of fear, insecurity and suffocation. “I am quite happy and relaxed to see the people sitting with their toddlers late night at the restaurant,” he said.

Shah said he had visited various development works he had carried out to improve the city infrastructure. “I went to Cantt Station where approaching roads to the station and the roads inside the station have been reconstructed, and now we are planning to restore the glories of the old building of Cantt Station by beautifying it with spot lights,” he said.

He also visited the Submarine Chowrangi Underpass project and the Sunset Boulevard-Gizri flyover on which work has been in progress day and night. “I would open this bridge and underpass on May 15.”

The chief minister also visited the roads recently constructed in Bahadurabad and then went to Tipu Sultan Road where a flyover is being constructed. In Dhoraji, he visited a PPP office and met party workers. He also visited Korangi, where 12000 Road has been reconstructed, and directed engineers to complete the footpath work at the earliest.

The chief minister along with his minister and media persons went to Burnes Road where he had rabri and Kheer at a shop. He then went to Lyari where he met party workers at the Taj Peshawari restaurant and had a cup of tea with workers and listened to their problems.

He said the RO plants installed in Lyari to provide water to the areas had been made functional again. The RO plants had become nonfunctional due to the disconnection of the power supply.