Crackdown against Mohajirs in Karachi, MQM chief condemns 'brutal repression' by Pak military

Pakistan's military establishment has launched a crackdown against the Mohajirs in Karachi, prompting a strong condemnation from MQM chief Altaf Hussain, who slammed the country's armed forces for "unleashing terror" and their "brutal repression" on the community.

The demonic inflictions by the Pakistani forces began two days earlier to the commemoration of Mohajir Martyrs' Day. The atrocities reached an all-time high on Monday, when a large number of men, women and children, and the elderly tried to reach the Mohajir Martyrs Monument situated in Azizabad, in the close vicinity of Hussain's residence.

The Pakistani forces baton-charged the people and arrested several men, women and elderly people. They even went on to allegedly molest daughters of those who had laid down their lives.

The Mohajir community wanted to pay homage to the bravehearts who laid down their lives in the struggle of retrieving their usurped rights.

The MQM commemorates the Martyrs Day on December 9 every year. Since 2016, Pakistan's military establishment has barricaded Azizabad.

A monument has been erected in the middle of Azizabad where people come to pay their obeisance and for laying a floral wreath and recite verses from the Quran.

The military establishment has restricted such activities and even the people are barred from reciting Quranic verses in remembrance of their loved ones.

The armed forces have ordered all flower vendors to keep their shops closed today so as to restrict the Mohajirs from laying floral wreaths on the graves of their bravehearts.

Hussain and the MQM's central coordination committee have condemned the "demonic" military establishment of Pakistan for their brutal repression against the Mohajirs.

They have appealed to the United Nations and international human rights organisations to take notice of the human rights violations against the Mohajir community.