MQM to hold rally in Altaf's support on Sunday

KARACHI: The MQM has announced that a rally to show support for party chief Altaf Hussain schedule to take place in the city on Saturday had been postponed till Sunday. According to MQM sources, the rally was postponed after permission was not granted for the designated venue. The party will now hold its rally on MA Jinnah road. The MQM is holding the rally on the heels of a BBC report over the murder of Dr Imran Farooq. In a news conference on Thursday, the party’s leadership said that Altaf Hussain was the victim of a media trial calling the BBC report malicious. The report broadcast during Wednesday’s ‘Newsnight’ programme said the British Crown Prosecution Service had asked the Pakistani government to trace and identify two men suspected of the 2010 murder of Dr Imran Farooq in London. The report identified the men as Mohsin Ali Syed and Mohammed Kashif Khan and believed the two were in the custody of Pakistani authorities. In a statement, the MQM said that Altaf Hussain’s life was in serious danger. The MQM chief in a message to the nation claimed that fake cases were being framed against him at the international level, adding he would not bow down to foreign pressure. The Scotland Yard declined to comment on allegations that Altaf Hussain’s life in UK was in danger and said, “anyone feeling threatened should contact the police.” A Scotland Yard spokesperson also said they were not prepared to discuss interaction with Pakistan when asked about the BBC report.