LAHORE, May 26: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf’s Lahore president Muhammad Shabbir has asked the MQM to account for the blood of innocent people of Karachi before criticising chairman Imran Khan.

Addressing the PTI workers who staged a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club here on Saturday against the vilification campaign launched by the MQM against Mr Khan here on Saturday, he said the MQM was a gang of professional murderers and Dr Farooq Sattar and his cronies were the products of violence.

He said Dr Sattar and MQM leaders should explain as to who was the mastermind of the Jinnahpur Conspiracy. “Were the bodies and Indian maps recovered from the private torture cells of the MQM during the army operation not a proof of its involvement in a conspiracy against Pakistan at the behest of a foreign power?” he asked.

He said MQM leader Altaf Husain should explain as to who created no-go areas in Karachi and who introduced the culture of bodies bags.

He said the MQM should know that parties believing in violence had no future. Shrinking of its influence to a few ‘mohallas’ had clearly proved it. MQM leader Altaf Husain should explain as to where he was keeping the murderers of Ghazi Salahudding and Hakim Muhammad Saeed.

He said Altaf Husain and his cronies were promoting the politics of violence. They blocked the roads of Karachi by parking containers on the night of May 11 and shot innocent people dead the next day to prevent the people from reaching the airport to welcome the Chief Justice of Pakistan. The MQM showed the victims as its workers but was exposed by the electronic media. As many as 26 SHOs were changed in Karachi before May 12 to give free hand to MQM workers to kill people.

He said the MQM had been isolated after the May 12 mayhem and even its political allies were trying to dissociate from it. He said the MQM and the government should know that Altaf Husain and his patron President Musharraf would be responsible for any harm to Mr Khan during his visit to Karachi. —Reporter