Express News screen grab of the MQM press conference.
KARACHI: Responding to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s strongly worded attack against the Muttahida Qoumi Movement (MQM) and its chief Altaf Hussain, the party’s coordination committee termed the PTI chief’s statements as “baseless and condemnable”, and part of a pre-planned scheme against the party.
“…this conference (PTI' press conference) was not abrupt…just like the Islamabad sit-in, it is a part of a pre-planned scheme,” said MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi, while addressing the media at party headquarters Nine-Zero in Karachi on Monday evening.
Calling it a “Black Day” in Pakistan’s political history, Rizvi said that MQM workers were in shock and sorrow over Imran’s incitement against their party chief.
While referring to Imran’s stance regarding talks with the Taliban, he said, “You are a Taliban supporter… their political wing. You just want to become the prime minister, even if the people are being killed in bomb blasts.”
Rizvi further alleged that the “Taliban had pre-rigged the elections for PTI by attacking party offices of political opponents”.
“A party that could hold political rallies following a few hours notice, was unable to openly campaign for elections,” Rizvi complained.
The MQM leader called Imran a “political vulture” who conducted his politics over people’s lives.
He revealed that Shah Mehmood Qureshi often called his party chief for ‘favours’, i.e. for their rallies to be held in Karachi unhindered, but instead the MQM was blamed for PTI Sindh women’s wing president Zahra Shahid’s murder. “You could not even lodge an FIR over her murder.”
Rizvi said the party would not accept any hatred against Altaf Hussain, and that despite the outrage, they will not respond in a similar manner.
“We are responding by showing our love and affection for Altaf Hussain,” Rizvi explained.
Earlier in the day, Imran had requested members of the MQM to disassociate themselves from their party leader, while repeatedly referring to him as a ‘psychopath’ and a ‘coward’.
He also accused the MQM chief of being behind the murders of former PTI Sindh women’s wing president of Zahra Shahid and journalist Wali Babar Khan.
MQM to hold rally on Tuesday
Later on Monday, MQM announced that on Tuesday they will stage a rally in Karachi to express solidarity with party chief Altaf Hussain.
The rally will start from Ayesha Manzil at 2pm and end at Quaid Azam’s mausoleum, said MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
Urging workers to remain peaceful on the occaission, Siddiqui said they will demonstrate to thier opponents that their leader had taught them to remain non-violent.
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