NA-246: MQM, PTI come face to face yet again

By
AFP

April 04, 2015

NA-246: MQM, PTI come face to face yet again

KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has begun campaigning heavily in NA-246 constituency which is the base of the Muttahida Quami Movement’s (MQM).
During campaigning there have been clashes between PTI and MQM workers and once again the situation took a violent turn on Friday night.

PTI candidate Imran Ismail was visiting different localities in the constituency including Karimabad along with workers from his party. A large number of people also gathered in the area and chanted slogans against the PTI and in favour of the MQM. In response PTI workers chanted slogans against the MQM which led to a scuffle.

An enraged mob destroyed a PTI election camp, threw eggs at it and set fire to a party flag.

Police arrived at the site and baton charged the croud in an effort to disperse them. SSP Central Nauman Siddiqui said seven people had been arrested and cases had been lodged against them.

Several leaders of the MQM including Farooq Sattar, Haider Abbas Rizvi and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui arrived at the scene and even tried to reconstruct the PTI election camp. The MQM leaders appealed to people to remain calm.




Later, MQM MNA Rashid Gondil arrived at the Gulberg police station but could not secure the release of arrested individuals.

Speaking to the media on the occasion, Godil said they were waiting outside the police station for the last two hours but the main gate was locked.

He said Parliamentarians do not receive such treatment anywhere in the world, emphasising that only lawmakers were accompanying him and not party activists.

The MQM leader said that the arrested were ordinary citizens and not the party workers.

Altaf condemns Karmiabad incident

Immediately after an attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) election camp in Karimabad, MQM chief Altaf Hussain in the early hours of Saturday condemned the incident and appealed the workers to run a peaceful election campaign.

Speaking exclusively to Geo News, he directed all MQM workers to leave the area immediately and return to their homes.




Altaf Hussain further said that not a single MQM worker or office-bearer was involved in Karimabad incident and in fact local residents attacked the PTI camp.

He, however, condemned the whole episode in which PTI’s flags were also torched and disrespected.

The MQM chief also urged the party leaders to play their role in ensuring peaceful atmosphere in the run up to Azizabad by-poll later this month.

MQM’s democratic credentials stand exposed: Imran

Hours after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) election camp uprooted and flags torched amid clashes with workers and supporters of the MQM, Imran Khan in the wee hours of Saturday said that MQM’s true face has been revealed in the incident.

Commenting on the Karimabad episode on Twitter, he said that MQM chief Altaf Hussain has proved that the party can only win by using “Hitler's Nazi party fascist tactics”.




“MQM goons have made us more determined than ever,” he added.

The PTI chief said that MQM's democratic credentials stand exposed and vowed to take up “Altaf Hussain's fascist tactics and violence with the British government also”.