October 1, 2007	Monday	Ramazan 18, 1428

KARACHI, Sept 30: Maintaining that he was not against the legal fraternity, Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Dr Farooq Sattar demanded on Sunday that the lawyers who had attacked him in Islamabad should be taken to task in accordance with the law.

Talking to newsmen at Jinnah International Airport, the MQM leader sitting in a wheelchair said he had not expected such inhuman treatment from the lawyers when he reached in an ambulance at the Polyclinic in Islamabad to sympathise with injured newsmen and lawyers on Saturday.

Holding party flags, a charged crowd received Dr Sattar at the airport and shouted slogans against what they called “the terrorists in black coats”. Some of the angry supporters pushed some newsmen and photographers.

However, they were restrained from violence by their seniors and asked to remain peaceful.

“The lawyers at Polyclinic hit me just like a football and beat me with kicks and fists. They also abused Muttahida chief Altaf Hussain, President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz,” he said while showing the injuries on his hand and legs.
According to Dr Sattar, he was unable to swallow due to an injury in the neck. He said the doctors and paramedics at the Polyclinic saved his life from the attacking lawyers wearing black coats.

He said he did not want to take revenge from anyone, but maintained that his party reserved the right to lodge peaceful protest against them.

Later, he was taken to a local hospital for further treatment.