August 18, 2008	Monday	Sha'aban 15, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 17: A police guard of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s deputy parliamentary leader in the National Assembly was wounded on Sunday when a police mobile escorting the Muttahida MNA came under heavy gunfire, police and witnesses said.

The MQM termed the incident an attempt on the life of Haider Abbas Rizvi, who was on his way back after offering Fateha at the Mewa Shah graveyard at the time of the incident.

However, a home department press note stated that the firing incident took place at a public procession at Pak Colony Road and that the attack was not aimed at Mr Rizvi In a statement, MQM chief Altaf Hussain condemned the incident and described it as conspiracy to destroy peace in the city. He urged the Sindh chief minister and home minister to take notice of the attempt to kill Mr Rizvi, and take steps for the arrest of all those involved in the attack.

ASI Rafaqat of the Pak Colony police said the police mobile escorting the Muttahida leader came under crossfire between police and a group of protesters.

He said constable Younus, son of Ghafoor, who was part of the escort, sustained a bullet wound in his back. The ASI said the injured cop was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he was stated to be in a stable condition.

He said tension gripped parts of Pak Colony after a protest by some residents against the allotment of plots to the officers of the now defunct KMC.

The ASI said the protesters also set up a camp where they went on hunger strike against the proposed residential scheme for the KMC officers.

Area people said the situation took an ugly turn when a heavy contingent of police removed the protesters’ camp on the orders of the area SP.

They said the demonstrators and the police exchanged heavy fire in the vicinity and the whole area reverberated with gunfire.

The area people said the protesters finally retreated when the police received reinforcements. They said that during the trouble, the SHO of the Site police station was also beaten up by the demonstrators.

Meanwhile, the home department press note said that firing took place in a public procession at 4pm on Pak Colony Road resulting in injury to a police constable, M. Yunus, who was in a vehicle escorting MNA Haider Abbas Rizvi, who was returning after offering fateha in Mewa Shah graveyard. “The attack was not aimed at Haider Abbas Rizvi, who is safe and sound,” the press note added.

In a press statement, the MQM criticized the home secretary for issuance of the press note, which claimed that the attack was not aimed at the party leader.

The statement said the Muttahida leader had been receiving threats on the phone and through letters.