Karachi, Sindh, June 10, 2009

Pakistan’s democratic government, in province of Sindh, interior ministry ordered police on June 9 ‘not to allow political demonstrators to stage a planed Sit-In in front of Chief Minister House, Karachi.

June 10, day came, when hundreds of people started to gather at Fohara Chowk, on Abdullah Haroon Road, Near Karachi Press Club, their other colleagues were stopped, baton-charged and tear gassed by police in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, an entry point to City of Karachi and others were stopped at Hyderabad bypass, but one procession coming from Gulshan-e-Maamar, Karachi, located on northern bypass, was fired by Police, killing three activists of Sindh Tarraqi Pasand Party (Sindh Progressive Party).

Some television channels tried to black out the news, some resorted to distorting the story saying “an encounter has taken police on northern bypass, 3 people were killed”, others quoted Edhi sources saying “they have found three dead bodies”. This is free journalism in our country. Not a single newspaper or television channel bothered to send their reporter to find out what exactly has happened. The Drama continued for four hours. Meanwhile Dr. Qadir Magsi, Chairman of STP talked to TV channels disclosing the killing of his party’s three workers. Only two Sindh TV channels Sindh TV News and KTN News aired it, however KTN still continued to report “three killed: STP claims”, the claim was not verified by their reporters.

Meanwhile rumour spread across the province that STP Chief Dr. Magsi has been killed, interior of the province went shutting down shops and businesses. Panic and confusion marked the June 10, and our provincial government, with army of ministers, remain unconcerned and aloof as what was developing, allowed chaos to rule the province, police kept denying killing of activists, Angry Karachi Police Chief told reporters on phone “He is not aware of the killings, but we have orders to stopped the protesters from staging Sit-In in front of Chief Minister House”.

Country national high way that links two ports of Karachi with rest of the country remained locked for 6 hours, but no government spoke person came and spoke on the tragic events of the day. Where was government, did government exist in city and rest of the province?

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