The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) welcomes comments and critique on all its reports in a press conference held by Farooq Sattar of the MOM saying he has made some baseless allegations against HRCP and its chairperson.
A HRCP spokesman said here on Wednesday that the reports compiled by HRCP were independent of any influence and that they were never initiated at the behest of any group or individual. "HRCP believes in collective decision-making by its representatives and those associated with the fact-finding process. All credible information is included," the spokesman added.
He said Dr Sattar had alleged in his press conference that the MQM had sent a bundle of material to HRCP about the May 12 violence. They have received no such material. "He has further made malicious allegations of contacts made by the Chairperson of HRCP warning the MQM of a conspiracy against them through bloody ethic violence. This is also baseless. It is amazing that the MQM found it fit to disclose such a scandalous fact only after the publication of the HRCP report," he added.
He said that in several meetings of HRCP and other organisations, fears were expressed of the possibility of a nasty confrontation on the visit of the Chief Justice to Karachi. These apprehensions he said were based on the troubled political history of Karachi, the press reports and information of MQM having hastily called back its ministers from abroad. Subsequently, the firing at the house of the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association confirmed the apprehensions of HRCP and other civil society organisations, he added.
He said it was in this context that the chairperson of HRCP was asked to call the MQM and dissuade them from taking a confrontational position. Two phone calls were made, one on May 9 and the second on May 10. Since the MQM claims that they have a recorded tape of the conversation. HRCP urges them to place it on record without any editing so that the entire exchange can be put into context. The duration of these calls is a matter of record. HRCP denies the version of Dr Sattar. On the contrary, an effort was made to use some influence in persuading the MQM to abandon their confrontational stance in their own interest.
He said HRCP would continue demanding that the killings of innocent people in Karachi be investigated and those responsible brought to justice. "This is crucial so that political parties do not engage in violence. Militant politics is unacceptable. However, citizens must remain politically aware, which is not only the domain of political parties," the spokesman said.
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