‘Media blackout’: MQM supporters protest across Karachi

Karachi

Activists and supporters of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Tuesday held simultaneous protest demonstrations at several different venues in the city and warned that the campaign will expand to the whole country in the form of sit-ins if the media gag on their leader Altaf Hussain was not revoked.

The MQM workers in their hundreds of little demonstrations across the city held banners while silently staging a protest against the media gag on Hussain’s statements and images following an order of the Lahore High Court. The banners were inscribed with slogans including “ban on speeches not acceptable” and “justice denied is justice delayed”.

The intersections and locations where the demonstrations were held included Maskan Chowrangi, Star Gate, Babar Market in Landhi, Hassan Square, Numaish, Do Talwaar, Real Chowk, Five Star Chowrangi, Liaquatabad No 10 and Water Pump where party leaders addressed the protesters.

In some areas the demonstrations created traffic jams where he commuters had to wait another hour or so to get home from work.

Speaking on the occasion, senior MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar said if the ban on publishing and airing Altaf Hussain’s statements was not lifted by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and Pakistan Press Council, the protests will be converted into a campaign of sit-ins and strikes across the whole country, the strategy for which will be announced later. Sattar said the ban is clear violation of Article 19 of the constitution that guarantees free speech.

Speaking at Liaquatabad No 10, Nasreen Jalil said gagging the voice of a leader of millions of Pakistanis was not just unconstitutional, but also illegal and illogical, besides being highly condemnable.

She said these quiet and peaceful protests of the supporters had proved their love for leader Altaf Hussain, calling on human rights organisations and international media to take up the issue. Jalil expressed the hope that the quarters concerned will respect the people’s wishes and lift the ban on MQM leader’s speeches.

At another demonstration, head of the party’s media wing, Amin-ul-Haq said the recent by-election and local government election had rubbished all conspiracies and proved that the party still enjoyed the mandate of the people. He appealed to the higher authorities to immediately resolve the issue and lift the ban on Altaf’s public statements and their publication.

Party’s candidate for mayor, Waseem Akhtar, while addressing protesters at Numaish Chowrangi the Pakistan People’s Party and its policy of reconciliation had destroyed Sindh in the past seven years as its leaders continued to amass wealth and transfer it abroad.

He said the ban on Altaf’s speeches would have an effect to encourage the elements supporting Taliban and ISIS.

Leader of opposition in the Sindh Assemnly, Khwaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, also warned that the MQM was the second largest party of the province and would have to hold country-wide protests if the imposed ban on their leader’s public statements was not revised.

The Lahore High Court in an order issued on September 7 last year to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and the Press Council of Pakistan to ensure a complete blackout of all news pertaining to the activities of MQM chief Altaf Hussain in both print and electronic mediums, for his alleged remarks against state institutions including the armed forces and paramilitary organisations.