News and Views

Sea of Humanity Floods Karachi for Dr Aafia

Published

October 4, 2010

KARACHI: A massive rally organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Tuesday unanimously demanded that the United States government set aside the 86-year jail term of Dr Aafia Siddiqui and release her forthwith.

A very large number of people, including women and children, took part in the rally held on M.A. Jinnah Road to express solidarity with Dr Aafia Siddiqui. Besides representatives of other political and religious parties, Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, Aafia’s elder sister, also attended the rally.

Strict security arrangements were made by the police and Rangers and the main M.A. Jinnah Road was closed to vehicular traffic. Workers of the MQM manned the inside security of the venue, spreading from the Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum to Tibet Centre.

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The participants of the rally replied in the affirmative when Dr Sattar asked them whether this massive rally condemned in the strongest terms the sentencing of Dr Aafia Siddiqui by a US court.

Declaring Aafia “the daughter of the nation”, the participants shouted huge slogans in her favour and rejected the sentence handed down to her on what they said fake and concocted charges.

Through another resolution, the rally demanded the US government and President Barack Obama set aside Dr Aafia’s jail term and release her immediately.

Earlier, speaking at the rally, Dr Sattar said the entire nation and the MQM were with Dr Aafia Siddiqui. “MQM rallies being held at 60 places in the country reflect that the 170 million people of Pakistan demand Dr Aafia’s release.”

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fauzia Siddiqui thanked MQM chief Altaf Hussain and the people of Karachi for extending their all-out support to her sister. “This huge rally proves that the whole nation wants Dr Aafia released.”

While the MQM chief, Altaf Hussain, spoke at length on Dr Aafia’s Siddiqui’s issue and certain other matters in his speech, he also asked the people of Karachi to make their city a peaceful place and protect one another’s life and property.

He said people belonging to different ethnicities were living in Karachi and it was their collective duty to protect every citizen irrespective of his or her ethnicity.

Daily JANG (Sep 29, 2010) Headline

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Related Topics:aafia siddiqui freedraafia.com karachi pakistan

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Hena Zuberi

Hena Zuberi is the Editor in Chief of Muslimmatters.org. She leads the DC office of the human rights organization, Justice For All, focusing on stopping the genocide of the Rohingya under Burma Task Force, advocacy for the Uighur people with the Save Uighur Campaign and Free Kashmir Action. She was a Staff Reporter at the Muslim Link newspaper which serves the DC Metro. Hena has worked as a television news reporter and producer for CNBC Asia and World Television News. Active in her SoCal community, Hena served as the Youth Director for the Unity Center. Using her experience with Youth, she conducts Growing Up With God workshops. hena.z@muslimmatters.org Follow her on Twitter @henazuberi.

10 Comments

Amad

October 4, 2010 at 11:06 AM

yet hardly a noise in the american media… how much more complicit can the media be in this injustice than to ignore such a significant rally??

Reply
- Nick
  
  October 4, 2010 at 11:27 PM
  
  @Amad: Dr. Afia is a U.S. citizen. Why has Dr. Aafia’s family blocked her children from speaking with the Pakistani press? Her children know exactly what happened to them and Dr. Aafia.
  
  Reply
Farhan

October 4, 2010 at 11:13 AM

Wow, that’s a BIG rally….

Reply
Amad

October 4, 2010 at 12:29 PM

What is ironic and unfortunate that the organizing party mqm has tortured and killed thousands of human being like aafia… I daresay that she would be better off in an american prison than a mqm torture house. Of course not defending one of the worst injustices in recent American judicial histor, but to highlight the unfortunate use of a popular issue by mqm butchers to push their own politics

Reply
Insight

October 4, 2010 at 1:15 PM

Has anyone contacted several news stations about this and why it is not being given justice to?

Reply
Hassan

October 4, 2010 at 9:38 PM

Wow thats ironic, may be MQM is trying to capitalize on sentiments of people towards Aafia. MQM was supportive of Musharraf and all his actions as well.

Reply
pkstan

October 5, 2010 at 12:02 AM

President Musharraf was the best leader Pakistan ever had, on the other hand MQM is a terrorist organization.

Reply
Jameel

October 5, 2010 at 5:36 AM

If MQM is terrorists organization, if MQM killed and torture people of Karachi then it is not possible for them to gather crowd of this magnitude.
Zaban e Khalq ko Naqara e Zaban Samjho

Reply
- Amad
  
  October 5, 2010 at 12:08 PM
  
  They are an opportunist organization. Even Hitler gathered millions upon his “manhaj”.
  
  The feeling for Aafia is nearly universally positive in Pakistan. They tapped into this. This support isn’t for MQM but for Aafia, but sadly MQM is certain to exploit it.
  
  Reply
IlmQuester

October 5, 2010 at 11:44 PM

May Allah(SWT) grant patience, shifa, and mercy upon sister Aafia, may He(SWT) bring justice in this world and replace the troubles and hardships of the Muslims with ease and prosperity, ameen.

Reply