HRCP blames govt over May 12 violence
LAHORE, Aug 27: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has proposed an inquiry into the May 12 carnage in Karachi by an inter-party parliamentary commission.
HRCP chairperson Asma Jehasngir and director I.A. Rehman made the proposal while releasing the fact-finding report of the commission on the mayhem when Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry landed at Karachi airport to visit the city to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of the Supreme Court at the Sindh High Court.
They said that an inter-party commission was required to look into the carnage because the government was not only involved in it, but a party to it and there was danger of more bloodshed during the general elections if necessary steps were not taken.
They said that the 124-page report was based on research, newspaper reports and interviews of the people about the acts of omission and commission pertaining to the events of May 12.
There was a consensus on the point that the massacre was pre-planned and was not possible without the government patronage.Not only the aggressive party resorted to violence but the other party also used violence to defend itself.
This was a serious issue for the peaceful civilian movement and required to be vehemently condemned.
They said that investigations had revealed that police failed to come to the help of citizens because they had been disarmed and confined to police stations.
The driver of an Edhi ambulance was shot dead and the media also was attacked.
The Edhi Foundation and hospitals of Karachi played a commendable role in providing relief to the victims of violence, the report said.
The head of state, however, described the violence as a display of people’s power.
They said that the HRCP would present its report to the Sindh High Court which was investigating the matter.
According to the report entitled ‘Carnage in Karachi, a city under siege’, May 12 will go down as a watershed event in Karachi.
Source: Dawn
Date:8/28/2007
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