KARACHI - At least four persons sustained injuries during armed clashes between the activists of MQM and MQM-H here on Thursday.
Areas of Landhi, Korangi, Malir, Shah Faisal and Lines Area remained the strongholds of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqqiqi since 1992 to 2001, and afterwards the Muttahida Qaumi Movement managed to gain control of the areas and re-established the organisational structures in the localities. Following the Karachi operation in September 2013, the MQM-H operatives started to wipe out the MQM form the localities and several clashes have taken place to gain control of the areas.
Residents of the areas were left with no other option but to suffer the miserable circumstances as the fear of violent armed clashes kept looming in the locality.
Sources privy to the matter revealed that the MQM-H managed to regain control of various localities of Landhi, Korangi, Shah Faisal and Lines Area particularly. Number of the MQM unit and sector offices, got closed following the Karachi operation, have been occupied by the MQM-H. On the wee hours on Wednesday, scores of the MQM-H operatives ridding on motorbikes rushed to occupy an office of the MQM in Landhi 6, and ransacked the MQM UC 17, office. Following the incident, a large number of the MQM activists and party MNAs and MPAs staged a sit-in outside Landhi Police Station demanding to get their FIR registered against the people involved in attacking the MQM office.
Police said as the MQM was holding its protest outside the police station, the MQM-H operatives also reached there and staged a protest against the MQM.
The activists of both parties chanted slogans against each other, and the peaceful protest turned violent. The activists of both parties pelted stones and used batons against each other. Afterwards, unknown gunmen started firing, leaving four MQM workers wounded. Police registered a case against the Haqqiqi workers.