THE BLOODIED DAY OF MAY 12, 2004
One could witness development in every nook and corner of the city due to the system put in place by the city government. The elected representatives could be seen at the Union Council, town and city levels, being engaged the entire day addressing the issues concerning the public. Gulberg’s Nazim, Farooq Naimatullah used to reach the town office right after Fajr prayers and dispatch the vehicles dedicated for waste management under his watch. Other town nazims also served with the same zeal. The waste management staff had the directives to begin working in the morning, this is why there used to be no garbage spilled in the neighborhoods or the roads. The UC nazims and councilors would tell me how they were surrounded by people soon after Fajr prayers, saying: “We can’t say no to them”. I used to tell them to be grateful of the fact that they have been blessed with the powers to solve problems, and can use it as a tool for success in the Hereafter.
The city was experiencing peace and calm after a considerably long time and people were able to take a sigh of relief, but the so-called stakeholders of the city didn’t like it. Those who wanted unrest, strikes, violence and bloodshed got another chance to do so during the by-election of 2004. The by-poll was held on May 12 for three National Assembly seats. The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal had nominated Qari Usman, Hafiz Mohammad Taqi and Rashid Nasim to contest the election. Rashid Nasim was a candidate from NA-246 constituency, comprising Liaquatabad and Federal B. Area. The constituency also housed Nine Zero – headquarters of Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
The polling was rather slow but peaceful until 12pm, following which MQM’s terrorists decided to act on their plan to destroy the electoral activity. Hundreds carrying arms entered the polling stations and opened straight fire at our polling agents. It was an apparent attempt to scare off rival polling agents in order to gain control over the ballot papers and ensure a win. All three seats had been vacated by MQM candidates and we were not expecting much competition, but the party’s terrorists had decided to shed blood in the metropolis post midday. They wanted to terrorize their political rivals and commoners so they couldn’t be questioned or challenged. Dozens of MMA workers had been shot until the evening, while many were tortured. There were confirmed reports of 12 deaths. As a city nazim, I contacted everyone who could play a role in maintaining law and order, but it seemed that the high-ups of law enforcing agencies were either deaf or dumb to the situation, or complicit in the bloodshed that ensued. The staff of the Election Commission seemed helpless. The workers of Jamaat-e-Islami stood firm and did not leave their polling stations, but then it intensified to the point that the women activists were also targeted with violence. Seeing their lives in grave danger, some of our polling agents left their assigned stations after the necessary communication with the nazm. Those who lost their lives on May 12, included Noor Alam, Abdul Rehman, Abdul Aziz Vohra, Khalid Khan, Shan Mohammad, Riaz Anjum, Mohammad Abid, Waqar Ahmad, Mudassir and Ishrat Ali.
Why did the MQM suddenly seek resignations from its MNAs? Was a new faction in the making? Was it about the financial irregularities? Or did they just want to spread fear and terror in the city? These are the questions that remain unanswered.
