Unidentified assailants opened fire at Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) activists on Sunday outside the residence of their party chief in Landhi No 6, injuring dozens of them.
MQM-H Vice President Shamshad Khan Ghauri told Pakistan Today that his party chairman Afaq Ahmed had called a meeting of activists from all across the city at his residence in Landhi.
“The activists had gathered outside their party chief’ residence when some Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists attacked them,” he said.
“The attackers beat up Haqiqi activists with iron rods and later opened fire to disperse them. Around Haqiqi 40 activists suffered bullet injuries,” he added.
“The attackers also kidnapped 20 Haqiqi activists including Shakil Hangoro, Muhammad Ali Katchi and Lohar Wada by hijacking the vehicle they were riding in.”
Ghauri said there is still no information about the whereabouts of the kidnapped Haqiqi activists.
The Haqiqi vice president said the police played the role of silent spectators during the attack.
“We condemn the barbarism of MQM activists and are showing patience on the directives of our party chief in order to maintain peace in the city,” he added.
“But our opponents should not mistake our silence for weakness. Maintaining peace is not the responsibility of the MQM-H alone; the Sindh government must also take action against these repeated attacks on us and stop its coalition partner from these activities.”
Ghauri alleged that MQM activists have been targeting Haqiqi activists for the last one month and the government is doing nothing about it.
“The government does not care about the lives and properties of the citizens and is busy appeasing its coalition partner,” he added.
MQM Rabita Committee member Wasay Jalil refuted the Haqiqi vice chairman’s claims and said his party had nothing to do with the attack on the rival party’s activists. “These claims are baseless and there is no truth behind them,” he said. “The MQM-H is trying to defame the MQM and using different tactics to achieve its nefarious goals,” he added.
