Under trial MQM leaders leave Karachi court chanting 'Pakistan Zindabad'

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders accused of attacking an ARY news office on Monday after being incited to violence by the party chief left the court today chanting pro-Pakistan slogans.

The 38 MQM workers including leaders Qamar Mansoor and Kanwar Naveed are being tried for anti-state speech and vandalism.

An anti-terrorism court on Thursday remanded them for another day in police custody.

Television footage available with Geo News showed Qamar Mansoor and Kanwar Naveed chanting 'Pakistan Zindabad' and 'Pak Fauj Zindabad' slogans.

Scores of MQM workers and five top leaders were detained by law enforcement agencies following the violence on Monday. Dr Amir Liaquat, Farooq Sattar and Khwaja Izhar were later released by Rangers.

The MQM chief’s speech to participants in the hunger strike incited party workers to take to the streets, ransack media houses and vandalise property. At least one person died and eight others were injured during the violent attacks in which around 2,000 party workers participated.

A day after the attack Farooq Sattar accompanied by several other MQM leaders announced that the Rabita committee in Pakistan had taken over control of the party and had cut off the party chief from making future decisions or statements.