HYDERABAD, Sept 15: The deputy convener, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Coordination Committee, Aftab Ahmad Shaikh, has lashed out at vested interests who are saying the MQM will boycott or withdraw from the ensuing general election.

Speaking at a news conference at the party’s zonal office here on Sunday, Shaikh, who is also a candidate for NA-220, said the MQM would not boycott the question.

He said this propaganda was based on mala fide intentions and aimed at creating confusion in the minds of MQM voters, and added the party had fielded its candidates all over the country.

Shaikh also accused the authorities of bias against the MQM and said the victimization of party activists, raids on their homes, arrests and kidnappings were continuing.

He said activists of “Haqiqi” had been given a free hand against the Muttahida and they were violating the law with complete impunity.

The MQM leader also criticized the government and the local administration for delaying permission to the party to organize a public meeting at the GCT Ground.

He pointed out the administration had notified 15 public places where political parties could organize their meetings and added the GCT Ground was included in that list.

He said the MQM had submitted an application one week back to the authorities concerned to grant permission to the party to hold its public meeting at the ground on Sept 17.

Shaikh said the party was constructing a stage for the meeting as the additional DPO, Hyderabad, Shirjeel Kharal, had issued a no-objection certificate on Sept 14 and forwarded the application to the district Nazim for formal approval.

He said the permission should have been granted on the same day but the powers were dilly-dallying with a view to sabotaging the meeting. He said it was a move to keep the MQM on tenterhooks and added it was also direct interference in the civil and political liberties of people, guaranteed in the Constitution.

He said he had already talked to the authorities concerned at Islamabad about the matter.

He alleged agencies had made a mockery of law and people’s inherent rights of freedom of expression.

The MQM leader said when party activists were constructing stage for the meeting on Saturday, the SHO, Cantonment, came there and told permission from the Cantonment authorities was necessary.

He said since the permission had not been refused, the party was going ahead with its preparation to hold the public meeting at the GCT Ground according to schedule.

Shaikh also accused Nazims and Naib Nazims of interference in the election process.

He said resources of local councils were being used for party candidates of Nazims and added PPP and MMA candidates were allowed to hoist their flags and banners on government properties.