Ashura blast and arson: City Council urges Chief Justice to order judicial probe

City Council on Monday appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan to order judicial probe into the bomb blast at Ashura procession on December 28, 2009 and the arsons and riots following the incident in the city. Condemning the blast though a unanimously passed resolution, the council demanded immediate disbursement of compensation to the affectees of the attack and arsons.
The resolution further called for giving at least 50 percent of the estimated losses of over Rs 50 billion, as compensation to the traders of the burnt markets. The general session of the house, which held at City Council Hall with Masood Mehmood, senior presiding officer, in the chair, also approved another similar resolution unanimously, which strongly condemned the carnage and arsons.
At the outset of the session, leader of the house, Asif Siddiqui, on a point of order, expressed his deep grief over the assassination of Imran Ahmed Khan, Nazim Union Council 6, Landhi Town, on December 31, by some unidentified persons. Arshad Qureshi, a Haq Parast legislature, said though there was a list of issues to be debated, he, however, wished the house to discuss the murder of their colleague, who lost his live in a targeted killing.
Paying tribute to the deceased member of the house, he said, Imran, being the chairman secondary school committee, had done commendable job not only in Landhi but also in other towns of the metropolis. Demanding the immediate arrest of those involved in the murder of Imran, he further said during the last two months at least 14 MQM workers were killed.
Rafique Ahmed of Al-khidmat Panel, while condemning the assassination of Imran, said that incidents of target killing were happening in the city for the last few years but the government failed to provide security to the citizens. Ishrat Jahan of the ruling party said that the deceased was a dedicated and loving personality.
Jumman Darwan, deputy parliamentary leader of Awam Dost Panel, said the services rendered by the deceased member were commendable. "As we have suffered from target killings the most, we strongly condemn the incident," he added. Imran Bakpati of Alkhidmat group said as the law enforcement agencies failed to provide security to the people, the chief justice of Pakistan was the only hope of the affectees.
Those, who paid tributes to the deceased member of the council, were Imran Yousuf Zai, Abdul Jaleel, Nadeem Salman Mujahid, Nikhat Shakeel, Ibrahim Mughal and others. Later, the house adopted a resolution demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the killing of Imran Ahmed. Later, the convenor adjourned the session till January 7, 2009.