KARACHI: Without blocking any major road in the city for vehicular traffic, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement staged multiple protest demonstrations against the media blackout of party chief Altaf Hussain in different city areas on Tuesday.

To the utter surprise of the citizens, this time the MQM that has been notorious for blocking roads for hours during the rush hour for staging protest demonstrations chose to record its protest in a civilised manner as its workers and supporters stood on pavements and greenbelts along key arteries in the city to prevent any hindrance in vehicular movement.

While the MQM claimed that it had staged demonstrations on 400 points in the city, major protests were held at about a dozen spots in Karachi’s six districts where scores of workers, women included, gathered and protested against the ban on telecast of Mr Hussain’s speeches and photographs.

The major demonstrations were held at Babar Market in Landhi, Star Gate near the airport, Hassan Square in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Numaish traffic intersection, Do Talwar in Clifton, Regal Chowk, Five Star traffic intersection in North Nazimabad, Liaquatabad No 10 and Water Pump in Federal B Area.

The protesters were carrying portraits of Mr Hussain, tri-coloured MQM flags and placards inscribed with slogans seeking an end to the ban on Mr Hussain’s speeches. Some of them also gagged their mouth with black tapes.

Speaking to reporters at the North Nazimabad protest, senior MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar said his party had a great respect for the judiciary and it expected justice in the case against Mr Hussain.

He said the party was exercising its democratic right by holding peaceful protest demonstrations which did not cause any disturbance to the people.

He warned that the protest demonstrations would turn into peaceful sit-ins and strikes if the ban on telecast of Mr Hussain’s speeches was not lifted. However, he added that the future course of action would be adopted in consultation with traders and people from all walks of life.

At the Numaish traffic intersection, MQM’s mayoral candidate Waseem Akhtar said the ban on Mr Hussain’s speeches and photographs was in fact encouraging extremist powers and their supporters.

Other leaders said the people of Karachi rejected the media blackout of Mr Hussain and they wanted the Lahore High Court to review its decision and end the unconstitutional and undemocratic ban that restricted the MQM chief’s freedom of expression.

Meanwhile, according to an MQM press release, the party observed a ‘day of protest’ in the city and held protest demonstrations at 400 locations as part of its ongoing movement against the media blackout of Mr Hussain.

The protesters asked the national and international human rights organisations to take notice of the ban on telecast of Mr Hussain’s speeches.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2016