Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued a statement condemning the ‘violence used by Sindh police’ on Wednesday at a protest held by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) workers, whom the PM termed ‘peaceful’ and called for an investigation into the incident.
The PM vowed to hold accountable those responsible for the violence, once a report has been issued.
“I have taken note of the violence used by Sindh police against MQM’s peaceful protest against Sindh’s [local government] law, [and] have called for a report from Interior Ministry, Sindh CS [and] Sindh IG [Inspector General of Police],” he wrote on Twitter.
I have taken note of the violence used by Sindh police against MQM's peaceful protest against Sindh's LG law, & have called for a report from Interior Ministry, Sindh CS & Sindh IG. Will take necessary action against those responsible after receiving these reports.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 27, 2022
The Governor of Sindh Imran Ismail also issued a filmed statement against the ‘police brutality on the peaceful demonstration of MQM Pakistan,’ and called for open communication between the two groups to resolve the matter.
گورنر سندھ عمران اسماعیل کا ایم کیو ایم پاکستان کے پر امن مظاہرے پر پولیس گردی کی شدید مذمت۔
سندھ حکومت کو چاہئے کے بات چیت کے ذریعے معاملے کو افہام و تفہیم سے حل کرے۔ گورنر سندھ@ImranIsmailPTI pic.twitter.com/TWILDoCHd6
— Governor Sindh (@GovernorSindh33) January 26, 2022
The skirmish between Karachi police and MQM-P party members left one dead and several more injured, including women, children and lawmakers. Police sprayed teargas and baton-charged the protesters, after they say protesters had unlawfully assembled outside of the Chief Minister’s house in Karachi.
MQM-P workers decried the police’s ‘fascist’ tactics and maintained that they were holding a peaceful demonstration, until police used violent force to disperse the crowd.
MQM-P’s parliamentarian leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told the press, “We will register a first information report (FIR) under a section of terrorism against Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah for the murder of our worker […] This is just the beginning.”
