MQM boycotts Sindh Assembly session; Mirza says was ‘misunderstood’

KARACHI: Speaking to media representatives outside the Sindh Assembly building, provincial home minister Zulfiqar Mirza on Monday said his statement regarding the People’s Amn Committee was misunderstood and misinterpreted, DawnNews reported.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had boycotted the Sindh Assembly’s session on Monday over Mirza’s remarks.

Moreover, MQM’s coordination committee announced that the party would also boycott sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate.

The decision was taken in a joint session of MQM’s coordination committee in Pakistan and London.

The session decided that given the situation the MQM would no longer support the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

Speaking to media representatives on Monday, MQM leader Raza Haroon said it was not possible for the MQM to support the PPP anymore and that the party would continue to boycott the Sindh Assembly’s session.

Haroon said the MQM had a problem with terrorist organisations and not with Mirza. He said the People’s Amn Committee was a band of terrorists and that Mirza was heading “these criminal elements”.

He further said that President Asif Zardari will soon be apprised of the coordination committee’s decisions.

On Sunday, a fresh war of words between Zulfiqar Mirza and MQM erupted after Mirza said that the People’s Amn Committee was a sister organisation of the PPP and dubbing all its members as criminals would be tantamount to levelling the same allegation against him.

The MQM on Sunday said the statement meant the minister’s ‘open support’ for criminals and terrorists and said it was considering to part ways with the PPP-led coalition government in Sindh.