Addressing a news conference at Khursheed Begum Secretariat, MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar appealed to Chief of Army Staff (COA) General Raheel Sharif to form an inquiry commission under Corps Commander Karachi to expose the perpetrators behind the killings and disappearances of MQM workers and sympathisers.
He also demanded of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to constitute a judicial commission to bring the culprits to book. He raised questions over the credibility of the ongoing targeted operation against criminals, saying that it was the responsibility of government to protect life and property of the citizens.
"We [MQM] collected evidences through eyewitnesses about those involved in the murder of four MQM workers," he said, adding that unit and sector offices of the party had been closed since the start of Karachi operation in September 2013. According to eyewitness, he said, MQM workers had gathered at a snooker's club in the premises of Country Apartment on April 13, 2014.
"As the MQM workers were holding a party meeting at that club, plain-clothed people in a double cabin vehicle raided the premises," he said, adding that the watchman present there opened fire assuming the plain-clothed men were robbers. "They overpowered the watchman and arrested 10 people including party workers and sympathisers," he added.
"Hearing the gunshots, two Rangers vehicles arrived at the scene to protect the plain-clothed personnel," Dr Sattar claimed. After the arrest of the workers, he said, the Rangers' vehicles escorted the plain-clothed men's vehicle to a Rangers' checkpost in Sohrab Goth area, where a veiled man identified six MQM workers while the others were released.
He said that four of them were killed after they were subjected to brutal torture and their bodies were thrown out in Memon Goth area. They include Faizan, Salman Qureshi, Ali Haider and Sameer. "Sohaib and Ziaur Rehman are still in the custody of the plain-clothed men," he added.
He alleged that state actors were involved in the forced disappearances and killing of MQM workers. He warned that MQM would stage peaceful sit-ins across the country if its missing workers were not recovered. "MQM had extended its complete support to the ongoing operation against criminals in the city. If any worker of MQM is involved in criminal activities he should be tried in a court of law but forced disappearance is not acceptable," he added. Haider Abbas Rizvi and other party leaders were also present.