KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain alleged on Monday that certain state authorities were planning to launch another operation against his party in order to crush it.

In a statement issued from London, he said the MQM was being made a scapegoat, but the elements conspiring against the party should know that it was not confined only to Karachi.

Mr Hussain, according to the statement, was speaking on phone from London to his party’s office-bearers and workers of Lahore and Rawalpindi zones.

He warned that people of the country, especially of Punjab, would take to streets if the MQM was subjected to another repressive action. Mr Hussain said the MQM was the only political party which was struggling against the status quo.

He said: “The forces that want the status quo to continue have never accepted the MQM with an open heart. They have been conspiring against the MQM. Allegations against the MQM were also levelled in the past to justify the repressive state operation.

“Once again there are stirrings in the print and electronic media about starting an operation in Karachi similar to the one launched in 1992.

“False and baseless allegations are being levelled against the MQM in order to crush it. Efforts are under way to silence the only voice being raised for the rights of people belonging to the poor and middle classes in the country.

“We did not bow down before injustices in the past and we will not do it even today. We would continue our struggle.”