MQM being targeted for standing against sectarian violence: Raza Haroon

Criminal elements do not approve of MQM's stance against sectarianism, says Haroon.

KARACHI: The workers and office-bearers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) are being targeted in Karachi because of the party’s stand against rising sectarian violence, said party leader Raza Haroon during a coordination committee press conference on Friday.

Haroon said that it was only MQM chief Altaf Hussain who had raised his voice against all sorts of violence, extremism and terrorism taking place across the country and also helped the victims. “He was the only leader who condemned the genocide of Shia community and stood against it,” Haroon said.

The party leader maintained that criminal elements in the country who are set to destroy Pakistan did not approve of MQM’s stance against sectarianism and therefore, started targeting its workers and office-bearers.

Citing incidents from the past week in which MQM workers were killed, Haroon questioned what their crime was for being targeted. “Their only crime was that they were going door to door spreading Altaf Hussain’s message of peace and promoting Sunni-Shia harmony,” Haroon said.

He added that the city has been given at the mercy of criminal elements, who are openly carrying out killings on the roads and no one is catching them. “It seems that it is not the responsibility of the government to protect the lives and properties of the citizens… Police, Rangers and law enforcement agencies are always patrolling every area of the city, then how is the violence rising?”

Appealing to the president, prime minister, interior minister, governor Sindh, chief minister Sindh and all other government officials, Haroon requested them to take action against the criminals in order to restore peace in Karachi.