Hate speech: Case registered against 40 MQM-London workers

Seven of them, arrested Wednesday night in clash between party’s two factions, sent to jail

KARACHI: A case was registered on Thursday against 40 Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - London workers for hate speech and provoking people.

Seven of these workers, who were arrested by the police during a clash with MQM-Pakistan’s workers at Jinnah Ground Wednesday night, were sent to Central Jail, Karachi, on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the police are looking for the remaining 33 unidentified MQM-London workers.

The clash occurred as MQM-Pakistan leader and Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar announced the plan to arrive at Yadgar-e-Shuhada [the party’s martyrs’ monument] in the Jinnah Ground Wednesday night.

MQM-Pakistan leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan reached the monument before the rally, accompanying Wasim Akhtar. However, MQM-London workers at the ground had started shouting slogans in favour of party chief Altaf Hussain.

MQM-Pakistan workers, too, shouted slogans in response but soon the slogan war turned into a scuffle, forcing law enforcers to step in. The police charged the workers and arrested seven of them, all of whom belonged to the party’s London faction.

The police later registered a case against at least 40 workers of MQM-London, including the seven workers, who were identified as Sajid, Talha, Faizan, Zafar, Fahad, Israr Rajput and Arif and have already been arrested.

An FIR was registered against the MQM-London workers at the Azizabad police station. Azizabad SHO Jamal Leghari said that a case has been registered against these members for hate speech and provoking people.

Meanwhile, SIO Ghulam Ali Siyal said that no further arrest was made. However, he added, the seven arrested men were produced before the court and sent to Central Jail, Karachi, while the police are searching for the remaining 33 MQM-L workers for arrest.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2016.