May 12 declared a public holiday

[LRE]

By Razzak Abro

KARACHI: The Sindh government has declared a public holiday on May 12 in an attempt to avoid possible political clashes in the provincial capital and to maintain law and order in the city. The government also announced that mourning would be observed every year on the said date.

Addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah announced that all exams scheduled on May 12 have been postponed. “Rangers and police will remain alert to avoid any untoward incident while no violation of Section 144 would be allowed,” he said.

“Already the April 29 incidents have caused a great loss in the city as over 30 people lost their lives. The people of the city grew more fearful after our coalition partners announced strike calls for May 12. The day should be observed as a mourning day by organising Quran Khawanis and prayers in memory of the martyrs of May 12, 2007 and hence the government is declaring it a public holiday,” he said.

Flanked by the Provincial Information Minister Shazia Marri, Food Minster Nadir Magsi, his advisers on media and political affairs Waqar Mahdi and Rashid Rabbani respectively, the chief minister hoped that no political party would observe a strike on May 12. The chief minister said that PPP was a major victim of May 12, 2007 and he himself was among those who were attacked. “The PPP has more grief to mourn but being a big party, it does not want to create disturbance on the occasion,” he added.

The CM reminded the political parties that all public meetings including rallies were already banned in the province under Section 144 and therefore all persons have to follow it. He warned that nobody would be allowed to create a law and order situation in the city and extra ordinary measures would be made to ensure the safety of life and property of the citizens.

The chief minister said that around 27 political parties gathered in Karachi on May 12, 2007, to accord a warm welcome to the then deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry at the Karachi Airport. Some people opened fire on PPP workers when they had taken a rally to the airport. As a result, a large number of PPP workers were martyred on the spot while many others sustained serious injuries, he added.

He was of the view that the government could not ignore a particular element of terrorism prevailing in the country and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has called in the army in FATA to tackle terrorism. Responding to a question, he said though investigation into the May 12 tragedy is underway but if a demand for judicial inquiry is made, the government would consider it in a cabinet meeting.

Responding to a question about MQM’s demand for the removal of the CCPO Karachi, and IG Police, the chief minister said that the Sindh government has decided that both the police officers would continue their duties and the MQM has also been informed on the matter.

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