RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) on Saturday disallowed Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) activists from visiting Yadgar-e-Shuhada in Karachi.

The party has annually observed December 9 as Martyrs’ Day. Party supremo Altaf Hussain’s brother Nasir Hussain and nephew Arif Hussain were killed on Dec 9, 1995, in the city.

Heavy contingents of Police and Rangers equipped with water cannon have been deployed in the area to deal with any untoward incident.

Earlier on Saturday, LEAs sealed main roads leading to Azizabad and Nine Zero. Area from Aisha Manzil to Liaquat Ali Khan Roundabout has been sealed with large busses. Armoured police vehicles were also present at the site.

Around 50 persons, most of them women, were trying to reach the Yadgar-e-Shuhada but the contingent of Police and Rangers already deployed there did not allow them.

The workers were trying to reach the Yadgar-e-Shuhada monument built in memory of Shuhada (martyrs) of the MQM at Jinnah Ground in Azizabad, after the MQM-L leaders announced to reach the area.

Police present at the area baton-charged party supporters trying to reach the site.

Senior Superintendent Central Irfan Baloch, however, said that party workers would “under no condition” be allowed to visit the memorial. Anyone taking law into their hands will be dealt with strictly, he said.

“Over 500 police personnel, including women police officials, have been deployed at and around Yadgar-e-Shuhada. More contingents can be deployed if needed,” Baloch added.

MQM-P leaders and workers also visited the monument last month to pay tribute to the martyrs. Heavy security was ensured on November 11, and party chief Farooq Sattar and others were initially stopped from visiting the site.

Sattar had said he was unable to fathom the reasons given for not allowing party workers to visit the party martyrs’ memorial site. He added that only the party leadership was granted permission after great difficulty.

Situation became tense last year in October when both MQM-Pakistan and London factions’ protesters came face to face at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada.

Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar along with a rally reached Yadgar-e-Shuhada hours after releasing from jail. The rally members comprised mostly MQM-Pakistan supporters and workers. After a while, members of the MQM-London also reached the venue and started chanting pro-MQM founder slogans.

Police baton-charged MQM-L protesters to disperse them and several workers from both parties were detained.

MQM-L had earlier announced that its leaders would visit the monument in memory of martyrs and hold Quran Khawani to pray for them. Due to this, Karachi Police became active in the mentioned areas and started assembling security measures.

This year too, MQM-L’s leaders had urged their workers to visit the Shuhda Qabristan — situated in the Azizabad area of Karachi — in a show of power in the city. However, a large number of LEA personnel had been deployed at roads leading to the graveyard to thwart the attempt.

“Around 50 persons, most of them women, tried to proceed, but the contingent of Police and Rangers already deployed there did not allow them,” SHO Azizabad Jamal Leghari told Dawn.

“They failed in their attempt to reach the Shuhada Qabristan,” he said.

He said he was not sure about any arrests made in that regard and said he would be able to speak about detentions only when he had more information.

Meanwhile, policewomen in Hyderabad also had to push back advancing female workers of MQM-L as they tried to enter a graveyard in the Pucca Qilla of the city to visit the graves of party workers killed in different periods.

The workers were pushed towards the shrine of Sakhi Abdul Wahab Shah Jillani. No untoward incident was reported.

A heavy contingent of police had already padlocked the graveyard to prevent activists from visiting the graves of party workers.

The roads leading to the historic fort had been closed with barbed wire from the Gari Khata and Guru Nagar sides since morning. Small arteries that connect to the fort also remained closed with barbed wires.

Separately, the MQM Pakistan faction hosted a Fateha Khwani in the Scout Ground, Latifabad, to pay tribute to those party workers who were killed over the years in Karachi, Hyderabad, and other areas.