HYDERABAD, Sept 5: The city police on Wednesday night removed all the banners and party flags of the Muttahida Quami Movement which were hoisted on government property.

A heavy contingent of police, led by the TPO City, Qamar Raza Jaskani, started removing the publicity material around midnight.

The areas of Khokhar Mohallah, Station Road, Haider Chowk, Railway Station, etc., have been cleared of the Muttahida’s party flags and banners which were hoisted on government property, particularly at the roundabout of Hyder Chowk.

The Muttahida activists had completely covered the Hyder Chowk roundabout with their party flags and the portraits of their party chief, Altaf Hussain.

Tension gripped the area as activists of the Mohajir Quami Movement had told the administration that in case the Muttahida flags were not removed, they too would start hoisting their party flags and displaying the portrait of Afaq Ahmed Khan because the roundabout was not the sole property of the Muttahida.

Two minor scuffles had already taken place between the activists of both the parties in the same vicinity a couple of days ago.

However, when the City police was removing the banners and flags of the Muttahida Quami Movement at 2:30am, the activists of the Mohajir Quami Movement started hoisting their party flags and banners on a private building in their presence, which was a violation of code of conduct.

Section 6 of the Code of Conduct says that no political parties or candidates shall permit his followers to make use of any individual’s land, building, compound wall, etc., without his permission for suspending banners, pasting notices, writing slogans, etc.

When the TPO, city, was asked as to why the police were not stopping the MQM, he said that he had not received a notification from the election commission as yet.

He further said that the Muttahida’s flags were removed from the Hyder Chowk roundabout because it was government property.