‘Rumours about friction, doubts over MQM chief’s political future baseless’

Karachi
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement staged a rally from Liaquatabad No 10 to the Mazar-e-Quaid on Sunday to protest against the “extra-judicial killings” and “enforced disappearance” of its activists.
Hundreds, including women, children and the elderly, participated in the rally to support the party’s stance that Rangers were killing its innocent activists under the garb of the crackdown against criminals in Karachi.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain on the official website of the party, had appealed to “women, elderly people, children and sisters to participate in the rally to prove that ‘like [in the] past, you still support your brother and son Altaf Hussain”.
The party activists and supporters participating in the rally shouted slogans against the law-enforcement agencies and the rulers for “pushing the people of Karachi against the wall”.
MQM’s Amin-ul-Haq said Rangers had created hurdles to stop the participants of the rally from reaching the Mazar-e-Quaid, but many of them managed to reach there.
“This massive rally proves that all speculations about frictions developing within the party and doubts over the political future of Altaf Hussain are baseless,” said Haq.
“The MQM will remain a formidable political entity in urban Sindh and cannot be eliminated.”
Ashraf Hasan, a participant of the rally who had arrived from Malir, said they had gathered to express their support for the party chief and to convey the message that the minus-Altaf Hussain conspiracy will be foiled.
A day earlier, the MQM had mourned the death of its four activists, who it claimed were taken away by Rangers a few months ago and then murdered in custody.
The paramilitary force, however, had said the four men were target killers and killed in a shootout in a slum in Sohrab Goth on Thursday.
A party insider told The News that Rangers, by forcibly opening shops belonging to the Pakhtun and Punjabi communities, were dividing the city on ethnic lines.
Inquiry
The MQM central coordination committee has decided to form an inquiry committee to investigate the allegations that some party activists arrested during the last two years were involved in sectarian violence.
At a meeting presided over by the party’s senior deputy convener Nadeem Nusrat, it was decided that the body would comprise of impartial people and its findings would be made public upon conclusion.
The members of the coordination committee unanimously agreed that the MQM would not defend any person affiliated with the party found involved in sectarian violence. They instructed officials representing the party on TV talk shows to promote sectarian harmony and refrain from passing remarks based on speculations.
They also resolved continue to the party’s “zero-tolerance” policy for anti-social elements, criminals and terrorists.