Sindh Chief Minister designate Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Monday at a press conference that 16 identified and four unidentified bodies of the October 18 bomb blast incident would be taken to Gahari Khuda Bux on Wednesday morning for burial; befitting to martyrs.
He said that an attempt was made on the life of Benazir Bhutto on October 18, 2007, which claimed 180, dead and more than 500 injured. "These people gave their lives to save the life of their leader Benazir Bhutto and therefore, deserve our prayers and recognition," he said. Qaim said that to fulfil the will of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto who wanted to bury the martyrs in Garahi Khuda Bux and raise a monument in their memory, the PPP workers would carry the coffin of the 20 people to Garahi Khuda Bux on Wednesday in a procession. The funeral procession would reach burial ground the same afternoon where funeral prayers would be offered. The burial would complete by 5 pm.
He said that PPP would now register the FIR, regarding October 18 incident, which was turned down by the SHO Bahadurabad on the pretext that a FIR had already been registered against unknown culprits. "The original FIR will replace the bogus FIR." He gave detail of the ordeal PPP leaders, trying to register FIR, had undergone, and said, "Despite frustration we had decided to pursue the matter and now the time has come when the FIR would be registered and inquiry would be conducted.
Directives of the District and Session Court, East, to the SHO to register PPP's FIR, and the stay order granted by the Sindh High Court against the implementation of District East orders notwithstanding, we will pursue the matter at the proper forum. FIR will be registered. Proper inquiry will be conducted to find out the culprits."
He said that the tribunal previous government had set up was not acceptable to them. "We had already expressed our views on this tribunal and it is non-existent for us." He said that it was now time to convene National and provincial assemblies' sessions so that process of formation of government could be hastened.
He said that there were a number of problems and people were looking toward the winners of February 18 election for solutions. "The sooner the better - assembly sessions should be convened. It is in the interest of the process of democracy in Pakistan." Senior leaders of the Sindh PPP Waqar Mehdi, Habibuddin Junaidee, Rashid Rabbani and representative of Edhi Trust Faisal Edhi were also present at the press conference.