KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders said on Tuesday that they did not attack the Chief Minister House when they brought four coffins there to stage a peaceful protest.

Talking to newsmen after staging a walkout from the house, MQM leader Syed Faisal Subzwari along with other lawmakers said if the chief minister considered the MQM protest as an attack on his palatial residence then he should have lodged an FIR.

He said that no attack had ever occurred during the MQM protest and the CM had misinformed the house. “Our privilege has been breached and we would file a privilege motion against him [CM] and also seek all legal and constitutional venues of protest.”

He said that neither the provincial affairs nor police were under the control of the CM.

He said that the MQM’s protest was peaceful and in accordance with democratic norms.

He appealed to the PPP high command to take notice of the CM’s statement at the floor of the house and have mercy at the province.

MQM’s deputy parliamentary party leader Khawja Izharul Hassan said on the occasion that it was lawmakers’ democratic right to ask question to the CM.

He regretted that the CM did not recognise this democratic right and instead termed our peaceful protest an attack.

He said that previously two elected presidents had dismissed the PPP government twice on charges of extrajudicial killings. “The PPP chairman and co-chairman should take notice of CM’s mismanagement and remove him.”

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2015

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