KARACHI, June 3: Secretary General of Mohajir Qaumi Movement, Amir Khan, has said the by-election for National Assembly seat NA-255 of Landhi will have far reaching effects on over all politics of the metropolis.
In a statement on Tuesday, he said that anti-Mohajir elements had been using state functionaries to make the people of Landhi hostage, but they would decide in the by-election “whether they are Mohajir or not”.
Criticising his rival party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement without naming it, Mr Khan said, “Those who have pronounced amnesty, have been playing with the future of Mohajirs, who would not be hoodwinked.”
Referring to the demolition of Bait-ul-Hamza, frequent raids and arrests of hundreds of party activists, and killings of party activists, he said, despite all of these oppressions, Islamabad had been patronising the “terrorists” which would affect the political scenario badly. He said that Islamabad should be ready to face the music for this.
Making an appeal to national institutions, Mr Khan said in the name of 1,200 displaced families, an ally of the coalition government had been settling its ‘terrorists’ in Landhi, which had created an unrest among the local population and if the national institutions did not play their positive role, the situation would worsen.
Meanwhile, Abid Jafri, MQM-H candidate for NA-255 by- election, said that the MQM-H was not being allowed to launch its election campaign whereas 20 days were left for by-election. He asked the government to lift the unannounced ban from MQM-H, if it wanted to hold fair and impartial elections.
ARRESTS: Police raided different areas of Landhi and New Karachi and allegedly picked up more than 125 activists or sympathizers of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, the party spokesman claimed on Tuesday.
MQM-H general secretary Amir Khan came to makeshift Baitul Hamza to listen to the grievances of the people on Monday, where people informed Mr Khan about the alleged police atrocities being committed against the people of Landhi.
The spokesman said since Amir Khan’s visit to the place, the police accelerated operation against the party and picked up almost 120 activists or sympathizers of MQM-H. He said 50 of those nabbed had been released so far, claiming that the remaining people were still in the police custody.
He alleged that some of the activists were released by the police after receiving bribe and some others were released when Muttahida’s representatives visited the police station. He said the people would vote the MQM-H candidate in the by-election to be held on June 22, despite Muttahida’s alleged attempts to win it by misusing state machinery.
