ANP to commemorate May 12 carnage

The Awami National Party’s Sindh chapter has decided to commemorate the May 12 carnage by holding a gathering at its provincial headquarters tomorrow (Sunday).

In a party meeting held on Thursday, the ANP Sindh leadership decided to organise a condolence reference at the Baacha Khan Markaz tomorrow afternoon to “seek justice for the victims of the carnage that occurred on this day 12 years ago”.

ANP provincial chief Shahi Syed chaired the meeting that was held at his residence. Many members of the provincial and central cabinet of the party and its central executive committee attended the meeting, including provincial secretary general Younas Bunariee, secretary information Bahr-e-Kamal Advocate and other leaders.

The ANP leaders said the May 12 tragedy was unforgettable for them and the party would continue to commemorate it until those involved in the tragedy were punished.

On May 12, 2007, scores of people were killed and injured in riots that erupted in Karachi as then deposed chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry arrived at the Karachi airport to address lawyers amid the legal fraternity’s movement to restore the judiciary.

Political observers say the carnage was yet another watershed event in Karachi’s political history after the Bushra Zaidi case in 1985 that had sparked ethnic violence in the city. After May 12, 2007, the city witnessed again a rise in ethno-political violence for several years.