KARACHI, Jan 13: The chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain, has accused certain religious parties of doing politics of expediency in their campaign against the MQM supporters.

Addressing a by-election rally, held for the MQM candidate for the NA-242 constituency, at German School in Orangi town, Mr Hussain condemned, what he called, ‘vandalism by armed activists of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’ on Sunday.

He cautioned the MMA chief, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, and his deputy, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, against the use of weapons to terrorize the MQM supporters in the constituency.

The London-based MQM chief, who also holds British nationality, said that while Maulana Noorani and Qazi Hussain preached Islam and Jihad to the masses, sons of both these leaders were getting their education in the United States. This, he added, indicated dichotomy in their deeds and posture.

He remarked that those who had been refusing to offer prayers together and calling each other infidel, had now ganged up and were contesting elections against the MQM.

Altaf Hussain claimed that the People’s Party which had until recently been describing mullahs as ‘agents of the establishment’, had now joined them for securing release of a few individuals.

He asked the MQM MPAs, as well as the party’s candidate in the by-election, Dr Khanzada, to concentrate on addressing problems of the area.

He mentioned some of these problems as broken roads, overflowing sewerage lines and drains, lack of schools and colleges besides healthcare facilities and, above all, the provision of electricity.

The MQM chief asked the legislators and party leaders to remain on guard against those who were trying to disturb law and order by indulging in politics of violence.

Meanwhile, the MQM Coordination Committee, has also deplored MMA activists who, it alleged, resorted to provocation and attack on the MQM camp office in presence of the Jamaat-i-Islami chief, Qazi Hussain Ahmed. It termed the rivals’ attitude ‘defeatist mentality’.

The committee appealed to President Musharraf to take a serious notice of the Orangi Town incident and demanded arrest of those responsible for the violence.