AhlulBayt News Agency - A protest sit-in outside Chief Minister House was peacefully ended and the slain civil rights campaigner Khurram Zaki was laid to rest after police booked outlawed takfiri terrorist group of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (Sipah-e-Sahabah) leader Aurangzeb Farooqi and Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid in the murder case on Sunday.
Zaki, 40, was shot dead and two others were wounded in an armed attack in North Karachi late on Saturday night.
On Sunday noon, scores of Zaki’s friends and family members took his coffin to CM House in a procession and staged a sit-in there. Although the police had blocked roads leading to CM House by placing shipping containers, the protesters removed all obstacles and reached CM House, which is located in the so-called red zone.
Zaki’s family, including his wife, teenage daughter, son and brother, members of the civil society, including activist Jibran Nasir, leaders of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen and Shia Ulema Council were present in the sit-in.
Charged youths shouted slogans against the government and demanded the immediate arrest of the killer of the slain rights activist. They also demanded that immediate action be taken against banned sectarian outfits.
They were full of praise for Zaki who they said sacrificed his life in the struggle against religious extremism.
DIG-South Munir Shaikh and Karachi Commissioner Asif Hyder Shah reached the scene to hold talks with the protesters.
The DIG told Pakistan's Dawn News that the protesters demanded registration of a murder case against ASWJ leader Aurangzeb Farooqi and Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz as they claimed that they had given death threats to the slain activist.
Later, the participants ended their sit-in when the government representatives showed them a copy of the FIR that contained the names of the two clerics.
The funeral prayer of the rights activist was offered near CM House. He was laid to rest in the Wadi-i-Hussain graveyard on the Superhighway.
The FIR was registered by the Sir Syed police under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 109 (abetment) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 on the complaint of Jazib Qamar, who survived the attack.
According to the content of the FIR, the complaint said that Khurram Zaki was targeted at the behest of Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid and Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqi of the ASWJ as the victim had taken part in protests against them.
The victim had taken active part in multiple protests against the Lal Masjid cleric and ASWJ leader. He was also the complainant of a case against Maulana Aziz, he added.
The CTD official recalled that prominent rights activist Sabeen Mahmud had also taken part in similar protests and was killed by the so-called Islamic State-inspired militants who did not like her such activities.
Zaki was also associated with the media, hosted a religious programme on a private TV channel. He left behind two widows and three children.
