KARACHI, May 25: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement is being targeted by religious extremists because it is the biggest obstacle in the way of those elements who wanted to turn Karachi into another bastion of Taliban and extremism.

This was stated by Mr Anwar Alam, in-charge MQM co-ordination committee in a news conference at Nine-Zero on Tuesday evening. He alleged that attacks on MQM activists, which were allegedly initiated by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and PPP cadres even before the May 12 by-elections, were still continuing in the city.

In this context, he cited the attack on MQM ulema committee's in-charge and Haq parast councillor, Javed Ahmad in Bahadurabad as he was coming to Nine-Zero. Mr Ahmad, who was shot at from close range, was critically injured in the terrorist attack and was being treated in the ICU of a local hospital.

Deploring the attack, he claimed that Mr Ahmad was targeted by those who did not like his work for fostering sectarian and religious harmony. Mr Alam said that MMA, especially Jamaat-i-Islami and PPP "terrorists" had so far killed more than a dozen of MQM activists and supporters, which began on May 2 with the killings of two sympathisers Imran and Zubair in Hyderabad and Tariq in Karachi.

He also referred to the killing of Nooruddin of Liaquatabad on May 5, Waqar Ahmad and Nooruddin Siddiqi in Liaquatabad and Baldia on May 12 respectively, the murder of Noshad Hafeez in Surjani Town on May 14, and the killing of Shakil Patel and Tariq Javed Masih.

Mr Anwar Alam said that for the sake of peace and security of the people and for avoiding any clash, the MQM had kept its organisational offices in certain areas on May 14, the day when the MMA had called for a strike against by-poll manipulations and violence.

He called upon Haqparast supporters to remain calm and urged the president, prime minister, Sindh governor and chief minister to take serious notice of such elements to avert any untoward situation.

MNAs: National Assembly members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Tuesday alleged that the Jamaat-i-Islami had opposed the creation of Pakistan and was the "biggest enemy of the country's integrity, stability and democratic dispensation."

In a statement they claimed that by portraying itself as a champion of Pakistan's interest, it was trying to mislead the people. They alleged that the JI had exploited religion as a tool for furthering its nefarious designs and for strengthening the exploitative feudal system.

That is why, they said, the JI opposed the MQM which they claimed was striving for the rights of the downtrodden people. They alleged that JI had indulged in the massacre of Bengali Muslims, through Al-Shams and Al-Badar terrorist organisations in the former East Pakistan, which resulted in the fragmentation of Pakistan.

The MQM MNAs also alleged that it was Jamaat-i-Islami which had introduced kalashnikov culture in educational institutions and thus endangered Pakistan's future.

They further alleged that the JI had also misled the youth and plunged them into the fighting in Kashmir and Torabora. On the other hand, they sent their own sons and daughters to the USA for education, the MQM MNAs alleged.

The MQM MNAs also chided the JI for criticising Sindh governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, and demanded of the president and the prime minister to send national security personnel to observe the alleged terroristic activities of the JI in the educational institutions. They were of the view that the existence of Jamaat-i-Islami was a threat to Pakistan's security and political culture.