KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will observe a ‘black day’ on Sunday in protest against PPP leader Syed Khurshid Shah’s remarks about the word ‘Muhajir’.

The party’s supremo, Altaf Hussain, appealed to traders and transporters to keep their businesses shut and not to bring their vehicles on roads to support the ‘peaceful’ black day.

The MQM said late in the night that it would hold a demonstration at the Sharae Quaideen-Sharae Faisal intersection at 3pm on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference here at the party’s headquarters ‘Nine Zero’, MQM leader Abdul Haseeb said black flags would be hoisted at all party offices across the country and all workers, office-bearers and supporters would wear black armbands to condemn what he alleged was Mr Shah’s blasphemous act.

Accompanied by MQM leaders Aamir Khan and Wasay Jalil, he said Oct 17, 2014, was the “most unfortunate day in the history of Pakistan” when the leader of the opposition in the National Assem­bly termed Muhajir an objectionable word at least four times.

He said Mr Shah had hurt the feelings of Muhajirs by repeatedly saying that this word was like an expletive to him. He urged people and clerics of different schools of thought to condemn the remarks.

Mr Haseeb said the MQM’s legal team had approached courts against Mr Shah’s remarks and they would decide his fate.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2014