Officials of the law enforcement agencies claimed to have sealed several new sectors and unit offices of Muttahida on Wednesday as part of the operation that started late on Monday.
Sources told ARY News that MQM’s offices in North Karachi, North Nazimabad, Liaquatabad and Federal B. Areas were sealed on Wednesday.
Violence erupted in Karachi after MQM’s Altaf Hussain, who has been living in Edgware for over 20 years, addressed supporters in the city via a telephone call, made statements against Pakistan and later ordered them to attack media houses on Monday including ARY News and Samaa TV.
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MQM workers clashed with police and ransacked ARY News Karachi bureau soon leaving at least one man dead and several others injured.
The violence erupted after Hussain addressed party supporters from London in which he castigated the media for not giving due coverage of his workers.
For over almost two decades, MQM chief has addressed party workers and supporters in Pakistan through a loudspeaker linked to his London home telephone.
Later on Tuesday, Hussain’s second-in-command Farooq Sattar, who was also briefly arrested after Monday’s violence, said the MQM “completely disowns” Hussain’s statements. Meanwhile, demonstrations against the attack on ARY News spread to other parts of the city where protests and rallies were held against MQM.
Sindh Rangers on Wednesday claimed to have arrested Asif Siddiqui, a prime suspect in the attack on ARY News office and an alleged MQM worker.
Altaf Hussain apologised for his remarks on Tuesday, blaming “mental stress”. MQM’s Jalil constantly sought to play down rumours of a split within the party, a senior party member Dr Farooq Sattar distanced MQM from Hussain’s comments, saying the party should now be run “from Pakistan alone”.
