PESHAWAR, Sept 13: The Awami National Party (ANP) has reiterated its allegations that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is responsible for the May 12 mayhem in Karachi, adding that it can counter terrorist attacks but follows a policy of non-violence.

According to a statement issued here on Thursday, ANP’s president Asfandyar Wali Khan said his party was capable of dealing with terrorism and ANP would fight MQM in the courts as well as the political arena. He was responding to threats hurled at his party by MQM chief Altaf Hussain.

Condemning the harassment of the Sindh High Court (SHC) judges by MQM activists, Mr Asfandyar warned that acts of state terrorism would be dealt with people’s force.

He alleged that the MQM was involved in the killing of Pakhtuns and 30 million Pakhtuns living in Karachi could not be left at MQM’s mercy. He said the MQM was bent upon sabotaging the judicial inquiry of May 12 killings by exerting pressure on judges of the Sindh High Court.

Referring to the forced exile of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, he said the MQM was an ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, which refused to honour the Supreme Court’s verdicts. He said the former prime minister had been sent to Saudi Arabia despite the apex court’s ruling that the government should allow him to return unobstructed.

He said the ruling coalition was trying to harass the judiciary in order to make it condone the rulers’ wrongdoing.

He said the ANP and like-minded forces would not allow the ruling coalition to harass the judiciary because Pakhtuns had sacrificed their lives for the independence of judiciary on May 12. He added: “ANP workers will protect judges and courts at all cost in Karachi”.