KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Capt (Retd) Safdar has said that an FIR should be registered against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for the murder of Tariq Khan.

The PML-N’s Syed Sabir Shah, Sher Azam Khan and Haji Abdul Mannan accompanied him when he said this to journalists at the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport on Sunday. He was also critical of other political forces and senior government officials.

Safdar claimed that Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif could not attend the funeral as security clearance was not issued by the government of Sindh. The government of Punjab did contact the government of Sindh, he added.

Safdar said the “allies of the dictator” committed the murder. “I am satisfied with the investigation being done by the police and hope it will be conducted in a transparent manner,” he added.

In response to a question he stated, “We are positive that this will be the first political murder that will be brought to justice.”

The party’s Pir Sabir Shah declared the murder a test case for the ruling coalition because the PML-N is the Pakistan Peoples Party’s partner in the ruling coalition at the Centre and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) that is close to President Musharraf is the PPP’s partner in Sindh’s ruling coalition.

Pir Sabir Shah and Captain Safdar attended the soyem at Gulberg Town to represent Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N’s chief.

The third day of mourning was commemorated by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, former chief minister Mumtaz Bhutto, former minister and now PML-Functional leader Imtiaz Shaikh, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F’s Maulana Umer Sadiq, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dr Meraj ul Huda Siddiqui, Siddique Rathore of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, the PML-N’s Mian Abdul Mannan, Sardar Rahim, Salim Zia, Zain Ansari, Zahid Rafiq Butt, Nihal Hashmi, Aijaz Zaidi, the PPP’s Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, PML-Quaid’s Bostan Hoti. They prayed for Khan and a Quran Khwani was also held.

Tariq Khan was a relatively young leader of the PML-N. He suffered a bullet wound in the leg during the violence of May 12, 2007 when he was on his way to the airport in a bid to receive deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. He was shot dead on Friday by unidentified men on a motorcycle.

His murder elicited condemnations from almost all the eminent political figures. Zahid Rafiq Butt, PML-N’s Sindh spokesman, told Daily Times after the soyem prayers that the party had lost one of its active, influential and die-hard leaders.

A murder case was reportedly registered by the New Town Police station. Tariq Khan’s father had earlier said that it was up to the investigators to ascertain who were involved in the assassination.

Zahid Rafiq Butt has also criticized the Pakistan Rangers for what he said was the beating of the party’s male and female workers and supporters in Quaidabad. “They were staging a protest but the rangers thrashed them. We demand stern action against those involved,” he urged.

 Source: Daily Times Pakistan

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