Thousands rally in Karachi over scientist jailed in US

[dhanak]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11431179


28 September 2010 Last updated at 13:07 ET Share this pageFacebookTwitterShareEmailPrint
Thousands rally in Karachi over scientist jailed in US

By Shoaib Hasan
BBC News, Karachi

A massive show of support in Karachi for scientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui who was sentenced to 86 years in jail in the US last week
Tens of thousands of people have marched in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi, demanding the release of imprisoned scientist Doctor Aafia Siddiqui.

Dr Siddiqui was sentenced to 86 years in prison by a New York court on 23 September.

She had been convicted of trying to kill US federal agents in Afghanistan.

US officials also say she is an al-Qaeda agent, but her family say this is a cover-up.

Continue reading the main story

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America is not a perfect country... they have to review a lot of their policies because they are pushing secular, moderate, liberal and progressive people on the other side of the line of divide

Dr Farooq Sattar
MQM party
According to them, Dr Siddiqui has been a prisoner of the United States since her disappearance from Karachi in 2003.

There have been a number of protests in Pakistan over her case but this rally, organised by the MQM political party, was the largest so far.

The crowd roared as the imprisoned scientist's sister addressed them on a bright Tuesday afternoon in Karachi.

Dr Fowzia Siddiqui called on those gathered to continue their struggle for her sister's release.

She said she was positive that Aafia Siddiqui would soon be back in Pakistan if the public pressure continued.

The rally in Karachi was the latest in a continuing campaign to pressure the US and Pakistani governments.

But it is the first time that a mainstream political party has called for Dr Siddiqui's release.

The MQM is also a part of the ruling coalition.

Growing chorus

Protesters hope to put pressure on the US and the Pakistan government to secure Dr Siddiqui's release
Its most senior leader in Pakistan, Dr Farooq Sattar, explains why the party has joined the chorus: "America is not a perfect country, American system and their policies are not perfect."

Dr Sattar said US authorities should review many of their policies.

"They are pushing secular, moderate, liberal and progressive people on the other side of the line of divide," he said, "and more and more people are becoming fanatic, becoming extremists and becoming terrorists."

Pakistan's government is now feeling the heat of this fast-growing campaign.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani expressed his displeasure after Dr Aafia was sentenced.

He called her a daughter of the nation, and said his government would do its best to get her released.

 

[lastbullet]

she is a terrorist ,she is in the jail for good,otherwise she would kill millons of innocent people.

 

[Raaz]

This is the start of protetsrs of MQM,
Next will be more sever but it will be for Altaf Bhai...

He is shouting, Sher AAya, Sher Aya, Police Aay,

 

[gazoomartian]

AH's voice in favor of Dr Afia is just decoy, and obviously he phoned the MQM members very easily.

The real purpose is:

1. Ambassador Patterson's recent visit to 9-0 has a lot to do with it. AH is trying to show that he controls the crowd and 'Patterson, dont mess with me. I know you are trying to take away MQM from me'

2. AH's recent statement that 'some big power is trying to kill me' has also something to do with it. He is trying to again show that he can mobilize masses against the US presence and can really harm relationship between US/Pak

3. The 3rd is just a guess, but I dont believe its true. He is trying to divert his member's or nation's attention from Imran Farooq ongoing investigation.

Any body disagree with me???

 

[Altaf Hussain]

AH's voice in favor of Dr Afia is just decoy, and obviously he phoned the MQM members very easily.

The real purpose is:

1. Ambassador Patterson's recent visit to 9-0 has a lot to do with it. AH is trying to show that he controls the crowd and 'Patterson, dont mess with me. I know you are trying to take away MQM from me'

2. AH's recent statement that 'some big power is trying to kill me' has also something to do with it. He is trying to again show that he can mobilize masses against the US presence and can really harm relationship between US/Pak

3. The 3rd is just a guess, but I dont believe its true. He is trying to divert his member's or nation's attention from Imran Farooq ongoing investigation.

Any body disagree with me???

I agree with you on 3rd point bro............

 

[Night_Hawk]

AH's voice in favor of Dr Afia is just decoy, and obviously he phoned the MQM members very easily.

The real purpose is:

1. Ambassador Patterson's recent visit to 9-0 has a lot to do with it. AH is trying to show that he controls the crowd and 'Patterson, dont mess with me. I know you are trying to take away MQM from me'

2. AH's recent statement that 'some big power is trying to kill me' has also something to do with it. He is trying to again show that he can mobilize masses against the US presence and can really harm relationship between US/Pak

3. The 3rd is just a guess, but I dont believe its true. He is trying to divert his member's or nation's attention from Imran Farooq ongoing investigation.

Any body disagree with me???

I agree that may be the case.

 

[Salik]

I think we should appreciate if something good is coming out of any where.....

 

[rakeem]

PPP taking advantage of MQM absence postpone Local Govt. election indefinitely

All by-elections have been taking place all across PAkistan before and after floods but Local govt. election does'nt seem Jamhuriyat.
Pakistani politicians all over Pakistan have put up local govt. of Musharraf and before Musharraf as well indefinitely, which has left masses on the behest of bureaucrats. PPP taking opportunity of MQM absence out there protesting Aafia Siddiqui sentencing have passed the bill to slowly murder Local Govt. system in Sindh:

LG poll put off indefinitely in Sindh
By Habib Khan Ghori
Wednesday, 29 Sep, 2010
KARACHI: Local government elections in Sindh stood postponed for an indefinite period after the provincial assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed into law the Sindh Local Government (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2010.
The objects and reasons of the bill state that it is impossible to hold the local government elections in accordance with the timeframe provided in Section 179-A of the SLGO, 2001 in view of the unprecedented floods in the country, including Sindh.
Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, who moved a motion for dispensing with the rules 85, 86 and 87 to take up the bill for immediate consideration, said that an unprecedented devastation was caused by the heavy floods in the province.
He said that while hundreds of villages were destroyed rendering millions of people homeless and displaced, floodwater had not receded in many areas after the passage of six to seven weeks.
The internally-displaced persons were still staying in camps because the road infrastructure had been destroyed by the floods, he added.
Holding of local government elections were not possible in this situation, he said, adding that the bill was being presented in the house so that the elections remained postponed till the situation permitted.
He assured the house that the elections would be held as soon as the situation would become conducive.
Arif Mustafa Jatoi of the National People’s Party attempted to move an amendment in the bill for fixing the election date. But when he was stopped on technical grounds, he said the government had no intention to hold elections.
Shahryar Khan Mehar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid said that corruption had increased in the absence of the local government bodies.
While the local government system was more important than the federal government to deliver to the people, the province was being run by district coordination officers and administrators, he said.
He added that a new system could be adopted if the local government system was not suitable for the country.
He said there was no doubt about it that the present situation favoured postponement of the elections, but it did not mean to put them off for an indefinite period.
In fact, he added, it appeared from the bill that the government did not like to hold LG elections.
Leader of opposition Jam Madad Ali said it would be better if a tentative date be announced for the elections during the next year.
Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani said it was President Asif Ali Zardari who had transferred the local government from the NRB to the provincial governments.
He said that the system failed to deliver, as 21 out of 23 districts of Sindh suffered badly during the last eight years. He said a new LG system was being framed with the consultation of coalition partners.
Citing major reasons for postponement of the elections, he said that many internally-displaced persons had lost their NICs and other papers.
He added that verification of the documents would take some time after which duplicate papers would be issued to them.
Revenue Minister Jam Mehtab said that elections could not be held till the finalisation of a new local government law, as changes in the LG system were under consideration at present.
Senior Education Minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq said the floodwaters had not receded in many areas so far. He said it could not be said when IDPs would be able to return and cast vote.
Earlier, the house was called to order by Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro at 11.45am.
MPA Ghulam Quadir Chandio belonging to the Pakistan People’s Party through a point of order drew attention of the chair towards the martyrs during the Movement for Restoration of Democracy about 27 years back.


http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect.../news/pakistan/04-sa-lb-polls-postponed-qs-05

 

[YAHYA87]

Speculations speculations and only speculations....What I think is today's Altaf's speech has already stolen the spotlight from those so called anti American group like Imran Khan and JI who were using Dr. Afia for getting some POLITICAL MILAGE so its totally understandable that their would be some CONSPIRACY THEORIST trying to create some relevence between Imran Farooq and Dr. Afia's stand of MQM but as far as I know that two days ago Farooq Sattar went to her house and she and her mother might have asked the same question which are in the minds of many people in Pakistan that MQM has not given their voice for Dr. Afia so I think this might be one of the reason that MQM might have arranged this rally to gave their voice that they are also abset from the decision of US court so dont make things out of nowhere and try to look things straight some times as well....

 

[Aijazahmed]

Whatever reason behind this rally, but one thing is proven as always that MQM is the only Power in Karachi. They can gather thousands of people in a short notice.

Rightly said:

"HUM SA HO TOU SAMNE AAYE"

 

[Zaidi Qasim]

Whatever reason behind this rally, but one thing is proven as always that MQM is the only Power in Karachi. They can gather thousands of people in a short notice.

Rightly said:

Do you consider yourself part of the Herd or you think you are better than it ? My question only rose because just a few days ago, you and other MQM supporters were spending day and night trying to prove her guilty and One of the lady supporter of MQM had used even obsceneties to describe her behaviour and the behaviour of her family during this ordeal.Now, when the Pir of your London sharif came out and s***en in her favour loudly, you seem to find the way out of your hole as well to come out and see the crowd in Karachi. For you it may just be another crowd and TAMASHA, but for some who care, it is the right thing to do and had been the right thing from the day one. It is pathetic that you use even this event not to feel remourse but with your low indignity for forming a herd of a crowd in which you seem to be one of them.....Are there any buyers ?????

 

[kashah]

ah's voice in favor of dr afia is just decoy, and obviously he phoned the mqm members very easily.

The real purpose is:

1. Ambassador patterson's recent visit to 9-0 has a lot to do with it. Ah is trying to show that he controls the crowd and 'patterson, dont mess with me. I know you are trying to take away mqm from me'

2. Ah's recent statement that 'some big power is trying to kill me' has also something to do with it. He is trying to again show that he can mobilize masses against the us presence and can really harm relationship between us/pak

3. The 3rd is just a guess, but i dont believe its true. He is trying to divert his member's or nation's attention from imran farooq ongoing investigation.

Any body disagree with me???

u may be right on all points, but the main point is that some one is realy making some noise about a grave injustis in thugistan, while all paper tigres of napak fouj, socalled political nobility is afraid to atter a word aginst the biggest bully terrorest of the world, us of a.

 

[Wadaich]

Trying to cash on the sorrows of an innocent sister. Shame on political thugs

 

[thisisfun]

MQM was in government and Altaf was Mushy's biggest cheerleader when he sold Afia and many others to the USA.

What a snake.