| Munawar Suhrawardy remains alive in the ...... |
| Tuesday, 17 June 2008 | |
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Locating (late) Munawar Suhrawardy’s house in Hyderabad Colony near Jail Chowrangi, even four years after his death, is not difficult. Step into the colony and ask anyone – from the shopkeeper to the area sweeper – and they will lead you to his home, which proves that the memories of his cold blooded murder are still fresh and he lives in the hearts of many. Munawar Suhrawardy – a confidant of (late) Benazir Bhutto, and a former Sindh Information Secretary of the PPP – was murdered on June 17, 2004, near Gurumandir when ‘unknown men’ opened fire at him. He sustained four bullet wounds – one of which pierced through his heart. Suhrawardy was declared dead before doctors could operate on him at the Aga Khan Hospital, where he had managed to reach in a rickshaw despite being seriously injured. “He was conscious even till the last moment and remembered to recite the Kalma,” says Mehmood Suhrawardy – the eldest of Munawar’s three brothers – recalling his conversation with the rickshaw driver who brought him to the hospital. Munawar was also worried about his three children as he feared he would not survive, said his elder brother quoting the rickshaw driver. Munawar’s death in June came as part of a series of high profile target killings that took place in Karachi that year. These included the murders of Sindh PPP MPA Abdullah Murad and noted religious scholar Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai. Police investigation into all these political murders remains pending. Riots erupted in the city following Suhrawardy’s death as angry PPP workers torched vehicles and attacked shops and set banks on fire. There was widespread grief. Shops in Munawar’s neighbourhood – the Hyderabad Colony – closed down voluntarily to mourn the death of their popular son. “Even our local cable operator disconnected his service to prevent the family from immediate shock and panic,” Mehmood’s wife told The News during an interview. Munawar’s eldest daughter, Farishteh Suhrawardy, was the first to suspect her father’s death. She was talking to him over the phone when she heard gun shots and suspected her father’s car had been attacked. The incident occurred at 1.30 p.m., just minutes after he had left his residence for a bank located on Business Recorder Road. “We later got a call from the newspaper’s office verifying that Munawar’s car had been attacked.” When Mehmood rushed to the site of the incident, he found his brother’s car empty. However, within seconds, he knew Munawar would have headed to the Aga Khan Hospital. “I knew he would not have waited for help… that’s just how independent and strong willed he was,” says Mehmood. There are many who feel that the murder of Munawar Suhrawardy was not just a targeted political murder, but was based on some personal enmity. “Munawar was not just a loyal and dedicated PPP worker but also an honest man who tried to resist the ‘negative elements’ that aimed to disrupt the peace in his city,” says Aqeel Karim Dhedi, a close friend of Munawar. Dhedi added that investigations have proven an underworld link to his assassination and that those responsible for his murder were not affiliated with a political party. The investigation of the case was conducted by the then DIG Sindh Manzoor Mughal who held two suspects. However, The News was unavailable to receive any update on their trial as the police refused to talk. Munawar, who was 41 years of age at the time of his death, had been associated with the PPP for as long as the family can recall. He enjoyed Benazir’s confidence as he remained a loyal worker of the party till the very end. “I think he was 15 or 16 when he first joined the PPP,” adds his brother. Apart from the PPP, people in his neighbourhood also relied on him to resolve issues. “Our doorbell would not stop ringing throughout the day,” Mehmood says. Unfortunately, Munawar is not around to answer their calls anymore. However, his picture with Benazir has been pasted on the gate to remind the people of his long service and commitment as a PPP party worker. In fact, Benazir called Munawar her ‘third brother’ after Murtaza and Shahnawaz Bhutto. “I remember how at the time of his death, Mohtarma Benazir in her condolence message said to me, ‘Mehmood today I have lost my third brother too’,” he recalls. Such was her faith in Munawar. Mehmood adds that she was hesitant to return to Pakistan after her eight-year exile in his absence. According to party workers, Munawar was known to have extraordinary organisational skills for political rallies. “Had Munawar been alive, maybe Mohtarma would have been too,” he says with a sense of despair. After returning to the country on October 18, 2007, Benazir Bhutto attempted to visit Munawar’s residence in Hyderabad Colony thrice to offer her condolences to the family, but was unable to do so (each time) due to the traffic jams at Jail Chowrangi. “We wanted to see her once after our brother’s death, but fate had other plans and we soon lost our leader too.” After his death, Munawar’s wife Naheed Suhrawardy and three children, Farishteh Suhrawardy, 14, Faizan Suhrawardy, 13, and Mishgan Suhrawardy, 9, shifted from the colony to Naheed’s mother’s residence in Defence. When Munawar was alive, they all lived as a single family in their two-storey house in Hyderabad Colony. Naheed refused to give an interview saying she did not wish to revisit the incidents that led to her husband’s death. On being questioned if Mehmood considered leaving the neighbourhood, he said: “Leaving this home is not an option. The memories of his death and the riots in our colony after his murder are still fresh and it does become disturbing at times; but this is the same house where we shared lots of good moments with Munawar as a family too.” Munawar left behind six sisters and three brothers (including Mehmood). Unfortunately, the youngest of them, Farooq Suhrawardy, lies paralysed for the past 15 years. Farooq was shot in the neck by some robbers upon attempting to resist a mugging bid. Despite the fact that the PPP is in government, the family does not wish to investigate the case further. The family, however, remains a staunch supporter of the party. |
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