KARACHI: Former Karachi mayor and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) head Mustafa Kamal lashed out at MQM chief Altaf Hussain for “making provocative speeches at his party’s hunger strike” in Karachi, leading to violence against media teams.
Addressing a hurriedly-called press conference on Monday, Kamal alleged that Altaf Hussain once again sought help from the Indian intelligence agency RAW.
The MQM chief, he said, was trying to defame the country’s Mohajir community.
“Those making hue and cry about the so-called mandate in Karachi are indulging in anti-Pakistani activities,” Kamal said and accused Mr Hussain of playing politics on dead bodies.
The former mayor called upon the MQM supporters to abandon Hussain for the sake of the community and country. He lamented that no action was taken against Altaf Hussain despite strong evidence. “Whatever we had been saying over the past two years turned out to be true today,” he added.
Earlier, Senior MQM leader Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain on Monday tendered an apology for today’s violent protest by some party’s workers at the office of a TV channel.
“I regret and apologize if any of our workers is involved in assaulting media teams,” he told media. “This is against freedom of speech and press,” he said, adding MQM strongly condemns the violence.
He, however, said that MQM had nothing to do with miscreants who attacked media teams in Karachi. “We strongly dissociate ourselves from protestors,” he said and added a third party could be behind the violence.
Scores of angry MQM workers stormed the ARY office at Madina Mall, broke its entry gate, assaulted media teams and set many vehicles on fire. The protestors also attacked a SAMAA DSNG and left a cameraman wounded.
Gunshots were also heard in the area. One person was killed and several people were injured in the violent protest and firing.
