3 injured in clash at MQM-P HQ

KARACHI:

Long-simmering differences within MQM Pakistan boiled over on Sunday as workers of the Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Mustafa Kamal groups clashed violently at the party's Bahadurabad center, leaving three workers injured.

According to party sources, workers of the Khalid Maqbool group held a meeting at the center on Sunday. Shortly after, members of the opposing group also arrived to hold their own gathering.

Tensions escalated into sloganeering, followed by a physical confrontation between workers of both groups. Aerial firing was reported during the clash, causing panic in the area. Shops nearby were closed down. Stone pelting was also reported.

MQM leader Amin ul Haq said organizational and legal action would be taken against workers involved in the violence. He alleged that intense aerial firing was carried out by the other group, in which one of their workers was injured.

Several other workers were also injured in stone pelting. He said severe vandalism was done at the party office and the DVR and CCTV cameras installed there were taken away.

Amin ul Haq added that after the current situation, it would no longer be possible to run party affairs in the same manner.

Following the escalation, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Dr Farooq Sattar and other leaders remained present at the park adjacent to the Bahadurabad center. Slogans were chanted during this time, including slogans in favour of Mustafa Kamal. The press conference scheduled late at night by the Khalid Maqbool group was postponed. Efforts to contact leaders of the Mustafa Kamal group for their version remained unsuccessful as they did not receive calls.

Three people were reported injured in the clash, aerial firing and stone pelting.