Every few days I see lamenting of MQM sympathisers sharing stories of how ‘ innocent’ men were picked up by LEAs and tortured without any charges laid against them. These incidents have made it difficult for the impacted families and others to ‘ love’ Pakistan. We have all 1/n
heard these stories time and time again. But we never hear stories of what ‘ innocent’ MQM men were doing in #Karachi that led to the LEAs to do all those horrific things to them. Let me tell you one story of two teenagers Anil & Muhibullah students of Saint Patrick’s Govt 2/N
College, Saddar. Anil & Muhib were affiliated with the People’s Student Federation and Anil was 18 and a Sindhi, Muhib was a pushtun and 19 years old. Anil was the only son of a widowed mother who sent him to college so that he could build a better future for himself 3/N
On a normal college day both of them were standing midway between the entrance gate to the college and pathway to the classrooms. 100-150 students, teachers and staff were present on the premises. Both these boys were literally the last few PSF affiliates in Saint Patrick’s 4/N
Which was now (early nineties) a stronghold of the MQM and APMSO which ruled the college and drew support from the Lines Area sector. On that day 8-10 men jumped over the boundary wall and entered the college garden and started aerial firing. Both Anil & Muhib started running 5/N
Towards the classrooms, with these men in pursuit of both boys. Anil received the first bullet in his leg and started to limp while Muhib reached the stairs and ran up to the first floor. The remaining students ran towards the entrance of the college and some towards the 6/N
Staff rooms and principals office. These armed men followed both the boys and Anil being injured was the first to be shot dead on the stairs to the first floor, his body visible to all those cramped in the staff rooms. The armed men ran upstairs and after a few rounds 7/N
Of firing there was silence and the armed men left in the same manner they came. Some of the staff went upstairs and saw a body lying towards the far end of the corridor near a classroom. It was Muhib, shot dead by the armed men. Significant number of people in the college 8/N
Witnessed these cold blooded executions by ‘ innocent’ men out of whom some belonged to the APMSO chapter of the same college. The ring leader was alleged to have been the younger brother of Dr Imran Farooqs wife. Tens of witnesses and yet when the police came no one saw 9/N
Anything. This is but one instance amongst a list that can be populated from the mid eighties to 1996 and then again during the musharraf era of the reign of these ‘innocent’ men. So please forgive me if I find it hard to offersympathy to these lamentations of innocence 10/N
Without discussing the reign of terror unleashed in #Karachi by these ‘ innocent ‘ men. 11/11
