I wish The Dead Could Speak Up!

 
Eventually, the MQM`s resigned MAN Rashid Godil has been shifted to his house from the hospital. He had been attacked by the target killers while he was coming back from his mother`s house. He had got so critically injured that even the doctors were seriously concerned about his life. Anyway, he is fine now. He thanked all, in a video message, for having prayed for him. He especially thanked Altaf Hussain and his party followers who kept praying to God for him.

Apparently, it was Rashid Godil`s expression of gratitude to his well wishers, but in fact, it was a clear denial of all the propaganda that MQM and Altaf Hussain were behind the attacks at him. 

It is on record that as soon as Rashid Godil was attacked by two still unidentified assassins, a systematic campaign was run through the media that Rashid Godil was targeted by MQM itself over some disputes with him. For this purpose, it was also spread on the social media that he was not among those MQM`s MNA`s who were present in the Speaker` house to tender their resignations. Although it was not true (as he was also present there), yet the MQM`s rivals and the some media-men kept building the same impression. They also tried to spread the fake story that as if Rashid Godil was shot from someone inside the car.

Interestingly, the Sindh Rangers too tried to endorse the same perception. Their press release stated that the Rangers would probe the attack from other angles too. Honestly, a crime needs be investigated from all angels even in the cases where circumstances are pointing out to a specific direction. But, vowing to deal the culprits with iron hands or taking them to justice at any cost in all the other cases, but probing the matters with different angles where mainly MQM`s people became the victims clearly indicate the bias of the law-enforcement agencies. The recent press release from the Rangers criticizing MQM`s leadership for announcing a mourning day over the extra-judicial killings of its arrested workers, proves the same again.

In fact, it is not new to directly or indirectly accuse MQM of having killed people including its own workers and leaders over differences. This perception has been deliberately created and promoted not only by its rivals but also especially by the establishment ever since MQM enter into the Pakistani politics.

It is on record that when a well-known journalist Hamid Mir was attacked in Karachi, many media-men and MQM`s rivals tried to put the blame of this on MQM. There were some very important facts regarding the victim as well as the attack on him:

1-Hamir Mir, a Punjab based journalist coming back from Islamabad that day, was shot in Karachi city which is called the home town of MQM;

2-The assassins used 9mm pistols in the murder attempt. According to the law-enforcement agencies, this was the most commonly used weapon in the target killings in Karachi;

3-As per a formal report submitted to the Supreme Court by the former DG Rangers (who is now DG ISI), 9mm pistols belonged to the same 19,000 NATO containers which had been stolen from Karachi port. He accused MQM`s then federal minister (for ports and shipping Baber Khan Ghouri) of being behind that.

4-Most importantly, Hamid Mir was known as an anti-MQM journalist.

Taking into account all these, it was expected that the blame would definitely be put, as per the perception, on MQM. Some anchorpersons and analysts tried to point finger towards MQM too. But, luckily, Hamid Mir survived and gave the official statement that ISI and its head (DG Zaheer-ul-Islam) wanted to silence him for good. 
Frankly, it was MQM`s luck that Hamid Mir became able to name the real people behind the evil act. Otherwise, the culprits had planned the attack in such a way that the blame would consequently shift on MQM`s shoulders. 

Few years ago, Ch. Nisar while speaking on the floor of the national assembly indirectly blamed MQM for having killed its own former MNA. He said, “In the 90`s, we used to have a very good colleague from MQM named Tariq Mehmood. But unfortunately, he was killed due to the conflicts of interest with him”. However, Tariq Mehmood immediately held a press conference in Karachi and denied the claim that he had been killed. He explained that he had no conflicts with MQM and that just because of his poor health he was not taking part in the active politics with it.

Thanks to God that Tariq Mehmood was alive and able to deny the allegations of his murder on MQM. Otherwise, that could have been merely an addition to the charge sheet on MQM which would have been almost impossible for it to prove wrong.

In 1998, the law-enforcement agencies held a formal press conference and produced an already arrested former worker of MQM (Saulat Mirza) in which he claimed that he had killed Dr. Imran Farooq on the orders of Altaf Hussain after the conflicts with him. The state-run television (PTV) also showed the images of the place where he had been, according to the claim, buried in Balochistan. Altaf Hussain completely denied the allegation saying that that Dr. Farooq was not only alive, but also in constant touch with him. 
However, in the second press conference, Altaf Hussain was challenged to produce Imran Farooq him before the media if he was really alive.
Anyway, in 1999, Dr. Imran Farooq shocked all by appearing at MQM`s secretariat in London after about 7 years of hiding. His presence at the party head office and also expressing confidence on Altaf Hussain proved that the entire story of his murder and the differences with the party`s head were totally baseless.

Here too, MQM got lucky that its then secretary general (Dr. Imran Farooq) somehow managed to reach UK from Pakistan to bring the facts to light. In the other case, Pakistani authorities had even produced his “killers” before the media with their “volunteer” confession so as to tighten a noose around the neck of Altaf Hussain and MQM.

Now after over a decade, there is a repeat telecast of the same drama. Once again, we are hearing the story of serious conflicts with Altaf Hussain, arrest of the “killers” and their in-custody “confessions” accusing MQM`s leadership. However, this time Dr. Imran Farooq cannot come up again to reveal the reality by expressing his confidence on his Quaid (leader) as he is no more in this world. 

It is important to recall that in the beginning it was spread that Dr. Imran Farooq wanted to join Pervez Musharaf`s APML, but Musharaf himself denied that news. Then, it was propagated that he wanted to from his own party after having developed serious disputes with Altaf Hussain which, according to the allegation, became the cause of his murder.

However, recently, some Pakistani media-men aired a document allegedly belonging to Scot Land Yard according to which a few MQM`s leaders had a meeting with Indian officials. Very interestingly, Dr. Imran Farooq`s name was also including those who represented Altaf Hussain in the alleged meeting. 
Question is, if that news was really true, did it not prove that the deceased (Dr. Imran Farooq), despite having been temporarily suspended from the party convenership, was representing his Quaid (leader) in import meetings? Does that not consequently end the basis of the rumor regarding any issues between him and Altaf Hussain that believed to have led to his murder?

In summary, from 1998 to 2015 or from Dr. Imran Farooq to Rashid Godil, all the relevant people were able to clear MQM from the allegations and also to point out towards the real culprits. Otherwise, all had been set to book MQM and its leadership in the evil acts of someone else.

In addition to the ones named above, there were many other prominent personalities in whose murders MQM was accused. In Salah Uddin (the editor of “Takbeer” magazine)`s case, his own daughter accused her husband (Rafiq Afghan) in the murder and also revealed that she did witness how he and some police officers were pressuring the witness (the deceased`s drive) to recognize MQM`s arrested worker as the real killer in the court. 

Regarding the Wali Baber murder, now even the international media is pointing out to the “forces” actually from whom the Pakistani journalist are receiving life threats. All these endorse MQM`s stance that it is being criminalized and then victimized by the military establishment. But, no one is giving an ear to its voice.

In short, since the deceased cannot speak up, MQM`s rivals come in a better position to put all the blame of their assassinations on MQM. But, if the victims survive and name their real enemies, it benefits MQM and all the accused. 

That is what which has been taking place for decades in Karachi and I wish the dead could up so that nor more innocent can be charged and punished for his undone act.