MQM-L plans to visit martyrs' monument today, roads to Jinnah Ground sealed

KARACHI: Leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) on Saturday announced to pay a visit to the party martyrs’ monument, Yadgar-e-Shuhada, at Jinnah Ground in Azizabad area of the city.

The roads leading to the Jinnah Ground and party’s defunct headquarters Nine Zero have completely been sealed by the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).

In an anticipation of a large crowd, heavy contingents of Police and Rangers equipped with water cannon have been deployed in and around Nine Zero.

Similar scenes were witnessed last month when the MQM’s splinter faction chief, Dr Farooq Sattar, announced to visit the martyrs’ monument last month.

However, the MQM-Pakistan chief, along with members of the party’s Coordination Committee, were later permitted to visit the martyrs’ monument.

Sattar then said it was beyond his understanding as to why they were being barred to visit the monument of the party’s martyrs.

The situation became tense in October 2016, when party workers and supporters of both MQM-London and Pakistan confronted each other at the Yadagar-e-Shuhada.

The martyrs’ monument has been a point of contention between the two factions of MQM.

Hours after getting released from jail last year, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar along with a rally reached Yadgar-e-Shuhada to pay respects.

After his arrival, the MQM-London activists also reached the monument and chanted slogans in favor of the party’s founder. Later, police baton charged MQM London activists to disperse them.