Daily Times

“Hurdles are being created in party’s election campaign with an attempt to snatch its mandate,” said Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Monday.

The leader also alleged that an undeclared ban had been imposed on his party to shun it from the election process. “The caretaker dispensation is very active in removing MQM-P’s flag and banners but those of its rivals are not being touched,” said the disgruntled leader.

He also claimed that requests from other political forces to hold public gathering in Liaquatabad, Bagh-e-Jinnah and others places were being entertained wheras MQM’s requests were being largely ignored.

“MQM-P was granted the permission to hold its public meeting at Liaquatabad on eleventh hour,” said Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. “Earlier, a group of people attacked our election office in constituency NA-239, tore down our banners and trampled on our party flags,” he said.

“MQM was only given permission to hold a public meeting in Latifabad, Hyderabad when our workers protested. It was too late by then,” he lamented adding that the party was granted permission to hold a public meeting in the afternoon. “The same day at night we had a gathering of thousand people,” he added.

MQM-P leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui asserted that the dozen of operations against MQM-P did nothing to end its political struggle. MQM-P senior leader Aamir Khan said that the workers of MQM-P entered the election campaign with their hands tied behind their backs. “MQM-P was not allowed to hold corner meeting in Karachi,” he claimed.

Aamir Khan added that MQM-P’s flags were being removed from the city and raids were also being conducted to arrest its workers. He said that Monday’s public meeting at the Liaquatabad will be the main power show of MQM-P in the metropolis.

“These tactics cannot halt party movement’s against injustice and MQM did not leave the ground open for the opponents by boycotting general election,” he said before condemning the arrests of party workers and demanding their release. “Authorities conducting general election should take measures to remove all the hindrance being created in MQM’s path during election its campaign,” Aamir Khan demanded.

“We have all these hurdles in our way but we are consoling our workers and supporting them. Our workers will remain calm and peaceful throughout this time,” commented the MQM-P spokesperson.

Published in Daily Times, July 24^th 2018.