May 18, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 01, 1428

KARACHI, May 17: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Chief Altaf Hussain claimed on Thursday that May 12 violence in Karachi was part of a conspiracy to pit liberal, secular and democratic forces against each other.

In a statement issued from London, Mr Hussain, whose party has come under severe criticism over the May 12 violence, said he and his party had appealed to the provincial government to ensure that there were no obstacles in the way of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and that he was facilitated to address members of the bar association.

According to the press release, the MQM chief was having a telephonic conversation with Sindh High Court Bar Association President Abrarul Hassan.

Mr Hussain told the SHCBA president that he and his party held the judiciary in high esteem and that the MQM had no conflict with the lawyers’ community.

He claimed that the MQM believed in the independence of judiciary and it had no objection to the lawyers’ struggle for the supremacy of judiciary. He said the MQM’s only concern was that the lawyers’ campaign should not be hijacked by political parties who would make the chief justice a controversial person.

According to the press release, SHCBA president Abrarul Hassan, while thanking Mr Hussain, made it clear that the lawyers’ struggle was meant only for the independence of judiciary and there was no conflict between them and various political parties.

Meanwhile, the MQM Coordination committee met in Landon and Karachi concurrently and deliberated on the May 12 incidents, and claimed that it was the handiwork of the forces that were not happy with the “rising popularity” of the MQM.

It rejected the criticism of the party as “misleading and without any foundation” and termed it a propaganda aimed at isolating the party. It maintained that if the party could not provide security to the people and its own cadre, it could even think of opting out of the government. It was confident that like in the past, the MQM would emerge intact.