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JI and MQM accuse each other of attacking workers

* MQM delegation calls on Aziz
* Threatens to wrap up relief work if attackers not arrested

By Irfan Ghauri

ISLAMABAD: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and the Muttahida Qami Movement (MQM) on Tuesday accused each other of sabotaging relief efforts in the earthquake-hit areas and attacking each other’s workers.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Dr Fareed Ahmad Piracha of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal alleged that an Al-Khidmat worker, Imran Shah, was shot and injured by the MQM workers in Muzaffarabad. While, Dr Farooq Sattar of the MQM told a press conference at the Parliament House cafeteria that the Jamat-e-Islami workers had kidnapped and injured MQM’s Zubair Bhatti, who was taking part in relief operations in Muzaffarabad. The allegations by the two rival parties came two days after MMA’s Sami Raheel Qazi’s visit to an MQM relief camp; and Altaf Hussain welcomed the act.

Meanwhile, Dr Farooq Sattar said that an MQM delegation led by him met the prime minister and made a phone call to General Musharraf and emphasised the need for coordinated effort in carrying out relief operations, adding that relief efforts lacked coordination.

He said the MQM has proposed to set up a centrally controlled coordination centre and the idea of parliamentary committee heading all relief activities should be implemented. Dr Sattar said that the prime minister and General Musharraf endorsed the viewpoint.

He said the prime minister had told them that he would convene the first meeting of the parliamentary committee soon after his visit to Dhaka.

Later speaking at an other press conference at Rawalpindi/Islamabad camp office, Dr Farooq Sattar said that another MQM worker Adil Rasid was abducted by suspected JI workers on Tuesday after noon. He said Adil was found injured on a hill. He warned that the MQM would wrap up its relief operation in the affected area if the government failed to apprehend the culprits who kidnapped the MQM worker in 24 hours. He said there might be some other hands along with the JI in these cases who were scared of the MQM’s growing popularity in the quake-affected areas due to MQM’s services.

He, however, did not nominate the ‘hidden hands’ and said that the party was probing into the matter thoroughly

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