KARACHI, May 12: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement held a large rally on Saturday to denounce what it called ‘political jugglery in the name of independence of judiciary’.

Activists of the party reached the Quaid’s mausoleum in large and small processions from different parts of the city.

Processions also arrived from Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Thatta, Sukkur, Badin and other towns.

There were reports that a number of processions from Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Korangi, Landhi and Quaidabad could not reach the venue of the main rally because they were stranded on Sharea Faisal which had been blocked for traffic.

MQM workers controlled the traffic and also looked after security arrangements at the venue of the rally.

A helicopter was seen hovering over the area, apparently to monitor the situation.

Till noon, a large number of people had reached the M.A. Jinnah Road to join the main rally which turned into a public meeting at Tibet Centre.

Waving party flags and carrying banners, placards and portraits of party chief Altaf Hussain, the participants raised slogans against the politicising of the judicial crisis and in favour of independence of the judiciary.

Despite reports of violence from various parts of the city, a large number of women and children attended the rally and heard the speech of Mr Hussain.

Because of the tense situation and fear of violence, some people left the place and moved to nearby streets. But when Mr Hussain started his telephonic address at about 4pm, most of them returned to the meeting.

“Over a dozen of our workers have been killed and hundreds others injured, but such incidents will not deter the MQM from its struggle for the rights of the oppressed people,” Mr Hussain told the participants.