KARACHI, May 4: Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Altaf Hussain has accused opposition parties and some lawyers’ organisations of politicising the issue of a presidential reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

In a telephonic address to members of the MQM Coordination Committee, he said the MQM firmly believed in strengthening the judicial system. But it held the view that politicising the issue was a “crude attempt to gain political mileage” out of an issue which was entirely judicial and should be treated as such.

He said the reference was being heard by the Supreme Judicial Council, but opposition parties that had failed to bring people on the road against the government had been playing “political games” and some organisations of lawyers had become “pawns” in that scheme. Mr Hussain said that holding rallies for the independence of the judiciary was the right of lawyers and citizens, but the way the issue was being used to destabilise the country should be condemned.