Imran says Altaf is scared of his imminent defeat

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan Tuesday denounced the incident in Jinnah Ground, saying he condemns the acts of what he called the goons of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain.

“Altaf Hussain is afraid of his imminent defeat (in the upcoming by polls in NA-246 Karachi),” Khan said in a statement here, hours after PTI and MQM came close to a clash at Jinnah Ground, Karachi – the stronghold of MQM.

“MQM cannot dampen our resolve with such moves,” Khan asserted, saying his party would go ahead and set the people of Karachi free from the ‘terrorism of MQM’.

Earlier, PTI spokesperson Shireen Mazari said her party would go into litigation against MQM over what happened today in Jinnah Ground.

Today, the situation got tense when MQM and PTI workers came face-to-face at Jinnah Ground in Azizabad and chanted slogans against each other.

PTI leader Imran Ismail along with supporters paid a visit to Jinnah Ground Azizabad to review preparations for their upcoming public rally on April 19th.

According to MQM workers, those accompanying Imran Ismail tore posters of Altaf Hussain and disrespected the ‘martyrs memorial’.

MQM workers also smashed windowpanes of the vehicles of PTI leaders, who had to leave the Jinnah Ground shortly after they had arrived.

Imran Ismail addressed a press conference and blamed MQM for what happened at Jinnah Ground, saying his party would lodge an FIR against MQM.

PTI has fielded its candidate Imran Ismail in the by-election for NA-246 constituency, which is considered the stronghold of MQM. The elections are scheduled to be held on April 23, 2015.