KARACHI, Sept 24: Clashes between supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal occurred in Azizabad and Joharabad on late Monday night.

The two parties lodged FIRs against each other. The parties claimed that their supporters were injured and said the attacks were initiated by the other party.

The MQM claimed that MMA men kidnapped three of their supporters and it feared for their lives.

The Azizabad police registered two FIRs, 304/2002 and 305/2002, on the complaints of the MQM and the MMA, respectively.

reaction: MMA candidates from NA-246 Rashid Naseem and NA-244 Dr Mairaj-ul-Huda and the Alliance’s provincial assembly candidates, Intikhab Alam and Islamuddin Ayubi, accused police and the administration of patronizing “terrorists” and conspiring to sabotage the elections by turning the campaign violent.

At an emergency press conference, they said hurdles were being created in the way of their workers to stop them from carrying on their election campaign.

They referred to an incident on Monday night in Yasinabad, F. B-Area, where, according to them, MMA workers were manhandled and one of their motorcycles was torched. When MMA tried to contact the DIG he was not available. The SHO of the area police station refused to register their FIR against workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and, instead, cases had been registered against their workers, they said.

They accused police of partiality. They termed the FIR lodged against them false.