Activists of PTI shouting slogans after burning an effigy of Altaf Hussain during a demonstration in Islamabad. PHOTO: ONLINE
PTI activists from different localities of Rawalpindi gathered at Shakrial and marched to the Islamabad Expressway where they burnt tyres and blocked the main road.
PTI Rawalpindi district coordinator Sajid Qureshi led the protesters, who raised slogans against MQM supremo Altaf Hussain. They also burnt an effigy of the London-bases party leader. The protesters asked the government to take action against MQM for its alleged involvement in extortion and targeted killings in Karachi.
They also criticised the government’s silence on what they called MQM’s ‘terrorisation’ in Karachi.
Qureshi censured MQM chief for his remarks against PTI leadership. “MQM was behind the murder of MPA Zehra Shahid and thousands of other victims of targeted killings,” he said. He added MQM was trying to maintain its hold on Karachi through torture and murders.
Protesters also said the federal and provincial governments were equally responsible for the 257 people killed in the Baldia Town factory fire for not taking action against the perpetrators.
The PTI workers also demanded to try extortion and targeted killings suspects in military courts. They said the civilian judiciary was unable to decide the cases due to threats and violence against witnesses and judges. They said the rallies would continue until the government took action against MQM.
The protest resulted in a massive traffic jam on the Islamabad Expressway which lasted for one and a half hour.
Meanwhile, a few dozen MQM workers gathered outside the National Press Club in Islamabad to protest against Imran Khan for his presser against Hussain. They called for legal action against Imran Khan for his ‘baseless’ allegations and attacks on their leader.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2015.
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