KARACHI, July 2: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s coordination committee on Saturday castigated Jamaat-i-Islami activists for allegedly trying to physically harm Mrs Nasreen Jaleel and hurling abuses at her when she arrived at Karachi airport in a flight by which Mr Niamatullah Khan, the former Karachi nazim, was also returning from Islamabad. Addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club, a visibly shocked Nasreen Jaleel narrated her ordeal from the moment she stepped out of the flight PK-309. Besides Niamatullah Khan, federal minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and MQM MNA Haider Rizvi were also her co-travellers.

Mrs Jaleel said that when she stepped out of the plane, smiles were exchanged with some JI MNAs and MPAs who had come to receive Mr Niamatullah Khan. But as she left the arrival lounge, some slogan-chanting activists tried to pounce upon her with the aim of harming her, she added, claiming that the activists belonged to the JI.

Mrs Jaleel said that sensing the gravity of the situation, gunman of Mr Haider Rizvi took her purse in his control and asked her to increase her pace. In the meantime, some security people threw a cordon around her and kept on pushing the yelling activists.

Nasreen Jaleel broke down when she talked about the abuses hurled at her by the activists. She alleged that when she reached her vehicle, it was pounded by the JI activists. Nasrullah Shaji, Laeeq Ahmad and Niamatullah Khan were present at the airport and if they wanted they could have stopped that, she added.

She urged the president, prime minister, governor and Sindh chief minister to take serious notice of the incident, and asked the party cadre to maintain calm and not to get provoked.

Mrs Jaleel also produced some photographs which showed some bearded men trying to reach her in an angry mood.

Deputy convenor of the MQM Dr Farooq Sattar said the JI reaction perhaps was due to loss of power following dissolution of the local governments. He pointed out that the incident was the first to have taken place under the caretaker city government.

Reading from a text, Dr Sattar alleged that the attack had been carried out at the behest of Niamatullah Khan, MPA Nasrullah Shaji, MNA Laeeq Khan and other JI leaders.

He pointed out that the incident exposed the JI’s plan to vitiate the law and order situation prior to the local bodies elections because it had sensed its defeat. He referred to Niamatullah Khan’s press conference where he had apprehended bloodshed in the city and in this regard had cited ‘aggressive’ policies of the MQM. Dr Sattar said that the incident had made it clear that who actually was contemplating that.

He called upon the international community to take cognizance of the incident, and said that the MQM chief, Altaf Hussain, had directed his followers to remain calm and not to get provoked.

Dr Sattar said that JI activists’ attempt to attack a woman clearly showed that what kind of Islam they believed in.

Referring to the JI’s demand for elections under the supervision of army, he said this showed that the JI did not believe in democracy and was exponent of dictatorship.

He also briefed newsmen on the MQM-sponsored All-Parties Conference being held on Sunday to hammer out a code of conduct for the upcoming LB elections. He said that the JI had declined to attend the APC.

Sources said that PPP also was not willing to attend.