KARACHI/PESHAWAR: At least 20 people including members of Sindh Assembly were wounded in an attack on a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) camp, setup for their ongoing country-wide membership drive on Friday, DawnNews reported.

According to initial reports, three MQM MPAs Mohammad Hussain, Sheikh Abdullah and Saifuddin Khalid were among the wounded in the attack in Orangi Town area.

Speaking to DawnNews, MQM leader Wasay Jalil said that a large number of party workers besides the three lawmakers were injured in the attack. He said that MQM’s volunteers are usually deployed at camps for the membership campaign.

Police and other law enforcement forces have reached the site and launched an initial probe into the incident after cordoning off the area.

Injured have been shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Meanwhile, Jamaatul Ahrar – a splinter group of umbrella Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Spokesman for Jamaatul Ahrar, Ehsanullah Ehsan told Dawn.com over telephone that “the MQM and other political parties who are thriving on the anti-Taliban agenda are on our hit list”.

He said that the attacks on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) besides MQM would be continuing, adding that the militant outfit has renewed its war against these parties.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain has condemned the attack on his party’s camp, saying “cowardly attacks like this cannot deter our courage”.

Speaking to MQM activists at Orangi sector office over telephone, he asked them to sustain unity among their ranks and continue peaceful struggle for the party goals. Hussain also telephoned Abbas Shaheed Hospital and inquired about health of the injured workers and prayed for their quick recovery.

– This is a developing story and will be updated as reports come in