HYDERABAD, May 21: Those local leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) whose houses had been attacked by armed persons riding motorcycles in two separate incidents on May 19 on Tuesday demanded compensation from the government for their loss.

Speaking at a press conference here, they also demanded that district police lodge FIRs immediately against miscreants. They accused Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers of attacking their houses and damaging a car belonging to one of them.

A PTI leader, who was a candidate for PS-45, Usman Kennedy said this was for the first time after 25 years that the PTI appeared to challenge the MQM in the general elections because people liked change.

“I have won elections before. If polls had not been rigged, I would have got over 10,000 votes. But I boycotted the polls at 1pm after witnessing massive rigging by MQM activists,” he said, adding that the Pakistan Peoples Party and PTI emerged to be the biggest parties in Hyderabad and Karachi respectively in elections by securing the highest number of votes.

He said nationalist leaders, including Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) chairman Dr Qadir Magsi and Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo, spoke frequently against MQM leaders, including Altaf Hussain, but no activists of the MQM attacked their houses.

He alleged that on May 11, attackers came from localities of Chotti Gitti, Shahi Bazaar and Pucca Qilla of Hyderabad.

He said he had changed political parties in the past, but no body had attacked his house.

He said the FIR lodged by the state with the Market police station was not acceptable, adding that he would approach the court of law to lodge an FIR again MQM leaders and activists.

Hyderabad district PTI president Dr Mustansir Billa said that his house was fired at by scores of persons who also damaged his car parked outside his house at Kohsar Latifabad.

He said that his family members were so frightened that they had moved to Karachi and he was alone there.

He said his life was in danger and his FIR had not yet been lodged with the Airport police station.