With the media barred from covering the hooliganism, witnesses said certain MQM leaders had been beaten up and they had to lock themselves up inside the party headquarters to escape the wrath of angry workers.

It all started soon after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan had held Mr Hussain responsible for the killing of party leader Zahra Shahid Hussain. The MQM had called an emergency press conference and a large number of party workers also reached Nine Zero. After 2am, MQM leaders, led by Dr Farooq Sattar, came outside the party headquarters to address the press conference.

Dr Sattar told journalists that the allegation levelled by Mr Khan at the MQM chief soon after the killing of Zahra Shahid was a proof of his “political immaturity”. He condemned the killing and demanded a judicial inquiry into it, but said that blaming Mr Hussain without any evidence and in the absence of proper investigation was wrong.

He said the MQM would adopt a legal and constitutional course to deal with the PTI chief’s outrageous accusations. After the press conference, Mr Hussain started his speech and strongly criticised the PTI chief, without mentioning his name, and said he (Imran) was abusing him and the coordination committee did nothing. He criticised the committee members and said they considered him a ‘machine’.

He said he had come to know through TV channels that he was due to address the MQM workers gathered at the party headquarters. His emotions overpowered him to the extent that he started weeping. This made the workers angry and the situation went out of control.

The witnesses said a large number of workers had surrounded the MQM leaders and roughed them up. They were so charged that they even tried to storm the Nine Zero where the leaders took shelter. But the gate was locked and they could not enter it.

Some MQM workers also roughed up reporters and cameramen and forced them to stop the coverage. The hooliganism continued for some time and till Mr Hussain resumed his speech and asked the charged workers not to misbehave with the elected representatives and members of the coordination committee.

Later, a press release issued by the MQM said Mr Hussain had strongly taken notice of what it called ‘violation of discipline’ by some elements among the party workers. He condemned the act of certain individuals against members of the coordination committee and other office-bearers and asked them to submit a written apology at the Nine Zero within 24 hours. Otherwise, he said, they would not be considered as MQM workers.

Mr Hussain also expressed his sorrow over the treatment meted out to some reporters and cameramen and assured them that action would be taken against those who had misbehaved with them.

PROTEST RALLIES: Dr Sattar told a press conference on Sunday evening that the MQM would hold protest demonstrations across the country and abroad against Mr Khan from Monday for holding Mr Hussain responsible for the murder of Zahra Shahid.

He said Mr Khan had hurt the sentiments of millions of followers of Mr Hussain by hurling baseless allegations and, therefore, the coordination committee had decided to hold demonstrations against him.

“The hatred of Imran Khan against the MQM will be dealt with but in a democratic, legal and constitutional manner,” he added.

Dr Sattar alleged that the slain PTI leader had been inactive for three months and she had developed serious differences with the PTI leadership over distribution of party tickets. He said internal disputes should also be considered while investigating the case.

He said relations between Mr Khan and extremist elements were not hidden and he had been the biggest supporter of the elements which had cut throats of personnel of the armed forces.

About the re-polling in NA-250 constituency, he said a large number of voters had been deprived of their right by holding re-polling in only 43 of its polling stations. He said the low turnout had exposed the tall claims of massive public support.

“People of Defence and Clifton expressed their confidence in the MQM by staying away from the re-polling process.”

Dr Sattar said voters of 140 polling stations of NA-250 had been deprived of their right and complete partiality was shown. “The MQM rejects this farcical exercise and demands re-election in the entire NA-250,” he added.

Source: Dawn

“You have the right to criticise, but not manipulate or spread lies against the sons of those who created Pakistan,” hesaid referring to mediapersons, in a telephonic speech to his party workers at a sit-in outside the Election Commission offices on Tuesday night.

Altaf subsequently retracted parts of his statements and apologised to mediapersons if he had hurt their feelings.In his earlier speech he warned the media that if they did not mend their ways, somebody from his organisation of millions of people might lose his cool. “If that person does something bad to one of you, don’t blame the MQM or Altaf Hussain,” he said.

Hussain claimed that the media was clearly biased against his party, portraying them in a bad light. Using an old Urdu proverb, the MQM chief said, “The dogs bark when caravans move. I want to tell the mediapersons that they can criticise the MQM as much as they want but honestly.”

”We all know about favouritism and manipulation. We have been running the party for the past 35 years. You are like our kids, our children, you can’t teach us politics,” he said.“Are you going to teach us the ethics of journalism? You boys!”

He warned the media to quit playing games with the MQM and said if the MQM ran out of patience, then neither the anchors nor the owners of the media houses would find a place to hide.

Later, addressing the MQM Rabita Committee meeting Altaf Hussain felicitated Nawaz Sharif saying that he accepts the mandate given to his party by the people. He urged all parties to respect each others’ mandates.

He said he was sorry if his remarks had hurt anyone including media persons. He also called off the sit-in outside the ECP offices until after a meeting of the Election Commission officials that will decide on the fate of NA-250 scheduled for Sunday.

Source: The News

He expressed these views at a reception given in honour of office-bearers and workers of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Karachi Union of Journalists, and All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confede-ration at Lal Qila Ground, Azizabad, on Saturday night.

Dr Sattar said it was necessary to give the reigns of the country in the hands of the educated and qualified people from the poor and middle class segments in order to bring it back from progressive degradation.

He said that the problems being faced by the journalists were of critical nature and hence practical steps should be taken to resolve them. He said that the MQM has always raised a forceful voice for the long-standing issue of implementation of wage board award for the journalists. He said that the long march of 14th January would bring a wind of change in the country.

Deputy Convener of the Co-ordination Committee Senator Nasreen Jalil, other members of the committee, MNAs, MPAs, Senators, office-bearers of different wings attended the reception. In-charge of the Information Department of the MQM Wasay Jalil and other members of the committee were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion Haider Abbas Rizvi said that it was necessary to empower the journalists for a durable solution of their problems. He said that it was necessary to infuse confidence among the journalists. He added that the MQM would continue to raise its voice in support of the journalists’ community whether it was in power or not.

President PFUJ Pervaiz Shoukat said that the MQM had always given importance to the problems being faced by the journalists and its positive role could not be forgotten. He said that the MQM is a principled political party and it had always been raising its voice for the oppressed people. He recognised that the MQM was the only political party that raised the issue of the implementation of the wage board award in the higher echelons of power.

Shoukat said that journalists also belong to the poor and middle class segments of the society and their problems were similar to those faced by the common people of Pakistan. He said that the MQM had supported journalists on every platform for which the journalists’ community were highly grateful.

Secretary General of PFUJ Amin Yousuf said that the MQM’s role for the solution to the problems faced by journalists was very clear. He hoped that the MQM would continue to give priority to the problems faced by the journalists’ community.

General Secretary of KUJ Faheem Siddiqui said that no one could deny the positive role played by MQM for the rights of the journalists.

Pakistan Press Foundation