The 'Protest Demonstration and Rally' came after Sunday's announcement by Dr Farooque Sattar, deputy convenor of MQM co-ordination committee at the residence of Dr Aafia's mother. The protesters rallied from across the metropolis and gathered in Tibet Centre neighbourhood in the afternoon.
The marchers, comprising hundreds of males, females and children, demanded of the United States to release the 'daughter of Pakistan' 'immediately and unconditionally'. Shouting slogan of "Long live Altaf" and displaying party flags on their bikes, the passionate workers of MQM started marching through various city roads to reach Tibet Centre.
The national and MQM party flags were hoisted from Guru Mandir roundabout to Jama Cloth Market. Banners, inscribed with slogans for release of Dr Aafia were also placed at various points of the rally's route. "No bargaining with Dr Afia; just release her," read a banner put on top of the overhead bridge at M A Jinnah Road. "Sentencing daughter of the nation is like insulting the whole nation," said another.
Addressing the rally, Altaf Hussain blasted US government and its allies in Europe for killing millions of people in Iraq, Afghanistan and the rest of the world on the basis of false allegations. The MQM chief also made the US accountable for drone attacks inside Pakistan territory asking who, Washington thinks, was responsible for the bloodletting of 'innocent' Pakistanis. The US also came under fire for bombarding lakhs of 'innocent' people in Iraq.
"How would America justify mass killings in drone attacks inside Pakistan?" Altaf asked. He said that policymakers in the US and Europe would have to change their policy approach which was unpopular among 90 percent of the world population. "No peace can be attained through use of force," he told the 'super power'.
Amid ear-splitting slogans, the MQM chief demanded of the US to uphold justice by setting Dr Aafia free as soon as possible. "Prayers may convert into curses if Aafia is not released," he warned Washington. According to Altaf, MQM was fast spreading in Pakistan and the day was not far when the 'Movement' would restore sovereignty of the crisis-hit country.
He also called upon Karachiites to stay united, protecting the life and property of each other. Heavy contingents of law enforcers and 'City Wardens' were guarding the routes and central point of the rally as a section of media had quoted some intelligence reports warning of a possible sabotaging activity at the large gathering.
As expected, however, the mass movement of MQM supporters reflected negatively on socio-economic activities in the violence-stricken city where the paranoid Karachiites preferred to remain indoors. Vehicular traffic, fearing violence and the resulting arson, remained off the roads making attendance in many of the public and private offices thin.
Parents also chose not to let their children go to schools leaving attendance in many of the educational institutions nominal. The worst hit was the vehicular traffic that remained jam packed on all link roads of the M.A Jinnah Road with commuters seen wandering here and there in search of an easy exit to reach their destinations.
As the day dawned, public transport was observed to be very thin on the roads as compared to normal days. Guru Mandir, Soldier Bazaar, Garden Road, Business Recorder Road, Kashmir Road, New M.A Jinnah Road, Shahra-e-Quaideen, Jamshed Road, Shahra-e-Faisal, Sadder, Jama Cloth, Shahra-e-Liaquat, Mereweather Tower, etc were the major affected areas.
The "judicial terror", as the women protesters of Jamaat-i-Islami had called it a couple of days ago, of the US court against Pakistani scientist erupted a huge outcry in Pakistan with political and civil society organisations like JI, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and Pasbaan launching countrywide campaign for the release of Dr Aafia.