KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said on Tuesday that he apologised if the legal fraternity believed that his party was involved in incidents of violence like the May 12 mayhem of 2007 and April 9, 2008 Tahir Plaza arson attack.

Addressing members of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA), the MQM-P leader said that his party was often blamed for the past violence and law and order situation in the city, but in fact the party itself had emerged as a result of such circumstances, when other political parties were already in the field.

However, he maintained that he apologised to the legal fraternity if they (lawyers) thought that the MQM was responsible for incidents like May 12 mayhem and arson attack on the lawyers’ chambers in Tahir Plaza.

The MQM leader said that his party was not run on bhatta (protection money), but charity funds for which the legislature itself had made laws allowing any party to be run on charity funds.

He conceded that some party activists might have gotten involved in some wrongdoings.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2020