• May 9, 2014
• Freedom of Expression
• Shamim Bano

KARACHI: Hundreds of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers staged a protest demonstration at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday against the Amnesty International while leaders of the ruling party warned that if harm came to MQM’s founding chief Altaf Hussain, ‘the city would burst into flames’.

Without naming any particular individual, political party or a group, deputy convener of the MQM coordination committee Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi also warned that party workers could go to any extent for the respect and honour of their ‘beloved leader’.

The Amnesty International in its report earlier this month warned that journalists in Pakistan were “under siege” living with the constant threat of violence from intelligence agencies and armed groups. Apart from banned outfits, the globally-recognised human rights organisation also referred to other threats faced by Pakistani journalists from multiple sources and placed MQM among them.

“Today’s huge gathering is a verdict against the Amnesty International’s report,” said Dr Siddiqi while addressing the protesters. Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Rauf Siddiqi and other leaders also spoke.

DAWN