Karachi mayor, other MQM-P leaders get death threats

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar and other leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQMP) face threats to their lives from a network of terrorists based in South Africa, according to a letter issued by the Sindh Home Ministry on Monday.

The letter stated that teams of terrorists in South Africa have been tasked with destroying peace in Karachi by targeting MQM leaders and Rangers personnel. “The South Africa syndicate cell, on the direction of MQM founder, has been tasked to conduct terror activities against MQM-Pakistan leadership,” read the letter written by the Sindh Home Department, following reports by intelligence agencies.

Provincial authorities advised Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar and other MQM-P leaders to restrict their movements in view of ‘serious threats’ to their life, according to an alert issued by the Sindh home department. The purpose of these activities is to sabotage Karachi’s peace and discredit law enforcement, particularly Rangers, it read.

According to the threat alert, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar is the ‘prime target’ of the hitmen.

The letter advised Akhtar to adopt necessary security measures, restrict movements, and avoid predictability of his activities to prevent any untoward incident. The Karachi mayor has already expressed reservations on insufficient security detail provided to him, and is said to have requested the government for security after being informed of the threats to his life. In a conversation with the Karachi commissioner on Sunday, Wasim Akhtar informed the commissioner that he has only been given a single police mobile for his security, which does not meet his requirements. The home department has now directed the concerned authorities to provide additional mobiles to the Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar in view of serious threats to him.