KARACHI, May 20: The Pakistan People’s Party, rejecting the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s allegations about PPP activists’ involvement in the May 12 violence in Karachi, has called for disbanding militant wings of all political parties.

PPP’s Information Secretary Sherry Rehman (MNA) addressed a press conference here on Sunday, a day after some MQM leaders alleged that those led by her in a rally on Sharea Faisal had attacked MQM workers with firearms.

“Neither I nor the PPP has ever believed in the politics of violence or terror. I totally reject as baseless all such allegations. In fact, we were subjected to indiscriminate firing for several hours… the car that I was driving was splattered with the blood of my defenceless guard who happened to be near it,” she said.

The MQM on Saturday released footage of the May 12 incidents showing Ms Rehman sitting in a vehicle and some armed men around it firing with automatic weapons. The footage showed an armed man clung to the vehicle and firing indiscriminately.

Ms Rehman, who was accompanied by Sindh chief of the PPP Qaim Ali Shah, said people belonging to PPP and other opposition parties around her car had sustained injuries and two of them died. “None of us in the car was able to see who was climbing onto our vehicle in the mayhem as we were under fire and the shooting continued for over two hours. After watching the MQM’s propaganda video, it is clear that the man who suddenly came to my car, when I was trying to turn away from the main road, was asked to get off by a PPP activist who was trying to stop the stranger,” she explained.

She maintained that the MQM should quit the government as it was responsible for the May 12 bloodshed.

During the press conference, PPP leaders screened footage of various scenes where MQM activists were indulged in shooting. The PPP leaders told reporters that the scenes were recorded by different private TV channels.

Answering a question, Ms Rehman said PPP would not demand imposition of a ban on MQM’s activities. Rather, militant wings of all parties, including the MQM, should be disbanded, she added.

She accused MQM workers of ambushing PPP rally in front of the COD Bridge on Sharea Faisal, and quoted Home Secretary Ghulam Mohammad Mohtaram as publicly acknowledging that 16 instances of ambush at different places in the city were reported.

Ms Rehman also recalled that the MQM had, on May 13, claimed that no central leader of the PPP was present in Karachi on Saturday (May 12). “Then how they managed to catch us in action showing me may party colleagues?” she questioned.

She said Naveed Qamar, Khurshid Shah, Manzoor Wassan, Naheed Khan, Yousuf Talpur, Fehmida Mirza, Azra Fazl and Shamshad Bachani were among may leaders participating in the rally, as was Leader of the Opposition in the Senators Mian Raza Rabbani and Safdar Abbasi.

She remarked that MQM people would always kill people and put claim on their bodies. “Can the MQM deny six-hour-long attack on the ‘Aaj’ TV channel’s building?” she asked.