MQM to hold rally in Karachi today

The Newspaper's Staff Reporter Published February 10, 2015

KARACHI: Declaring that no one can separate Altaf Hussain from the party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has said it will hold a rally in the city on Tuesday to express solidarity with its London-based chief.

“We will remain peaceful and not respond to hate with hate as per the teachings of our leader,” MQM leader Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said in his address to workers who gathered at the party’s Nine Zero headquarters on Monday night to protest PTI chief Imran Khan’s remarks against their leader.

Also read: Imran vows to take Altaf Hussain to court, again

“We will hold a historic rally from Ayesha Manzil to Mazar-i-Quaid and the people of Karachi will show their love for Altaf Hussain,” he added.

Earlier, the MQM came down hard on the PTI chief for his diatribe against Mr Hussain and said it appeared that his allegations were part of a conspiracy against the Muttahida.

Speaking at a press conference, MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi said the PTI was a “political wing of the Taliban” as it never condemned their terrorist activities and instead wanted to open an office for the Taliban in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the PTI had tried to hatch a conspiracy to disrupt peace in Karachi, but workers of the MQM and the people of the city foiled this plan through “their patience and unity”.

Condemning what he called the abusive language used by Mr Khan against the MQM chief, Mr Rizvi said the PTI chief should do some soul searching before levelling allegations against Mr Hussain. “We condemn and reject all accusations of the PTI chief. Imran Khan is part of a big conspiracy that aims at destabilising the political system in the country,” he added.

He said the PTI had no problem with the MQM and sought “our support whenever it holds a public meeting in Karachi”.

He claimed that Mr Khan had not even visited the families of the victims of the Peshawar school carnage. He was in Karachi, but did not even bother to attend the funeral of his party’s leader Zehrah Shahid, the MQM leader said, adding that the PTI did not even lodge an FIR over the killing of Ms Shahid.

He said the PTI chief wanted to become prime minister at any cost and to destroy a national consensus against the Taliban and militancy. Mr Rizvi asked what steps the PTI had taken for the victims of the Baldia Town factory fire.

Dr Farooq Sattar said the MQM and Altaf Hussain were one and the same and any attempt to dissociate him from the party would never succeed.

Rauf Siddiqui said the MQM was not interested in sitting with the PTI at any forum.

The MQM workers, including women who gathered at the Nine Zero chanted slogans against Imran Khan and remained there for hours. They dispersed peacefully after Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui announced that the party would hold a rally on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2015

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Kadir Khan, TX

Feb 10, 2015 06:45am

Serious reshuffle on the very top level is require in MQM to gain respect. Damage is done by the so called party chief who clearly does not posses proper or fundamental leadership skills at all. Altaf may be once of the founders but he can not be a leader. His style of running the party seems to be influenced by the famous Alcapoon, an italian mafia who ruled the streets of Chicago in 60's and later got busted and vanished. Altaf's end would be simillar. Probably Altaf must have read about the stories of Alcapoon & his mafia when he used to drive cab in Chicago in mid 70's. Tariq Azeem and Imran Farooq were the two very talented, capable and knowledgeble people to represent MQM. They both had true touch of leadership persona and attitude and if alive today could have fought better to get rights of mohajirs and give them a respectable platoform to live in the country. Unfortunalty & sadly we all know what happen to them. And the time is not to far when MQM would seriously struggle after Altaf. The party will break into several segments & pieces.

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FAQ

Feb 10, 2015 06:48am

Insha'Allah our captain too won't back out! Imran is the matchless leader brave enough to live in his own country leading his homeland rather than run away like a coward! Imran Zindabad!

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Nadeem

Feb 10, 2015 07:05am

Plenty of proofs, plenty of confessions from their workers, there is no one daring to control this party. People know this party's real face, but our authorities are dead. We are the only nation allowing someone to do hate & threatening speeches from abroad.

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M. Emad

Feb 10, 2015 07:40am

'London exiled' Altaf Hussain orchestrated another mass-madness in Karachi . . .

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Lucky Star

Feb 10, 2015 08:17am

Rally for what, to protect the criminals to keep the gravy train going for MQM leadership. Wake up people of PAkistan and reject MQM as long as AH and company dominates MQM.

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Ahsan

Feb 10, 2015 10:02am

I see much hate coming in future from this Taliban loving establishment backed Taliban khan and his supporters. It's sad to see the propaganda run by these punjabi media and their followers against MQM . They hurled abuses and threats against MQM in past, be it Jinnah pur or fake torture cells. They always were scared of MQM and it's leaders popularity . IK also made empty threats in past against MQM and Altaf hussain to have them tried in uk courts but in reality none what so ever evidence he could produce against MQM or Altaf hussain just like his masters Pakistani establishment for last 30' years . Shame on all biased and tyrannical people, who have never spoken at any levels against atrocities being conducted on mohajirs , they have no words for Aligarh qasbah surabh goath, paka qilla's massacres , they have no comments for the 15000 sons of Karachi killed by oppressive forces of Pakistani establishments, they have no voices for innocent workers of MQM being killed every day at the hands of same forces. They have no sympathy for doctors and Shia minorities being killed every day in target killing by their Pathan TTP friends in Karachi everyday. Shame on you Imran khan and PTI

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Keti Zilgish

Feb 10, 2015 10:33am

Imran should be doing his home work before branding it simply as hero worshiping at Nine Zero.

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Feb 10, 2015 11:00am

ignorance is bliss but stupidity is forever

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Key Points

Feb 10, 2015 11:31am

Hey guys, do something productive for a change. Look at the world, countries have moved on with progress in science, technology, business and commerce. What some of the young people doing in Pakistan, shutter-down strikes, phayya-jam strikes, protest marches and rally, dharna, speeches and slogans for political leaders, sucking up to politicians? Hoped my analysis is wrong. Please use your brain and stop wasting your time is useless activities. Politicians doing their politics to achieve their objectives. What you are doing to achieve your objectives? Think, and think fast how to spend your valuable time? more rallys? more speeches? more slogans?

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Hyderabad wala

Feb 10, 2015 02:12pm

Time to get a separate province for Muhajjirs. Or Altafa can go retire, along with the Rabita Committee. Not wanted. They need to deliver a province

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Hamid

Feb 10, 2015 03:34pm

@Ahsan Except for one news chqnnel (dunya) all the rest are based in Karachi.

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sunny

Feb 12, 2015 07:31pm

We Pakistani youth rejects and condemns MQM comments against PTI and IK.