The London Trial

Now that the Metrolpolitan Police London have released Altaf Bhai on bail after interrogating him for nine hours at the police station, he is likely to address his followers in Pakistan telephonically which should put matters at rest – at least for some time – and the ‘sitters in’ would end their dharnas which had brought to still the normal daily life of  cities like  Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur etc.  One fails to understand how could dharnas  in a far flung country affect and influence the British Police and administration thousands of miles away. If at all dharnas  and protests must be staged, these should be done in the UK.  It is another matter that such protests may not have any effect upon the British Police and Scotland Yard who are well known for their autonomous entity to the degree that they have hauled up even the royalty, the MPs and the ministers for breaking the law and nothing could stop or influence them from indicting them. One is equally surprised at the boasts made by the MQM leaders that the people are staging 72 and 96 hour dharnas and closing their businesses out of their own sweet will and love for their Quaid!  Is the transport too laid off for the sake of same love? The Universities, Colleges and Schools shut down for the sake of same love?!  Can the MQM leaders imagine the discomfort caused to the millions of daily commuters, hundreds of  patients who cannot make to the hospitals, thousands of students whose examination papers are postponed apart from the millions of the daily wage earners whose families are deprived of the food and other essentials of life so badly needed by them.  And, here we are told that it is all been done by the LOVERS of Altaf Bhai out of their own sweet will !!  Come on, Sir, you want us to believe that and not see the armed goons behind it all forcing the closures of the shops and businesses of the helpless who can’t resist them?!!  People are much wiser now to know the real facts than what you want them to think and believe.

Altaf Bhai is quite likely to be in and out of the police precincts and hospitals quite a few times more till the present accusation comes to some logical end. Would the people of Karachi and some other cities show their similar love for him every now and then that Altaf Bhai in taken in by the London police and stage similar dharnas that cripple the city life causing immense misery and hardship to the poor helpless captives?  One sincerely hopes and wishes that good sense would prevail upon the MQM walas and that they would desist from crippling the daily life of such cities which apart from the untold miseries to the people inflicts loss of BILLIONs of rupees daily. 

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)