Members of joint oppositions in the City Council on Friday staged a protest demonstration against the ruling Haq Parast Party's Thursday's violence unleashed on them during the Council session. They were demanding that city council membership of Haq Parast members involved in violent attacks on opposition members should be cancelled forthwith.
A large number of political activists of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Pukhtoon Khuwah Mili Awami Party and ANP participated in the protest on M A Jinnah Road in front of the KMC Building. They were chanting slogans against the Haq Parast Panel and for supporting their respective party's representatives in the Council.
Speakers were Taj Haider of PPP, Nasrullah Shahji MPA of JI, Saeed Ghani of Awam Dost panel, and Rafiq Ahmed of Al-Khidmat Panel in the city council, Mehboob-ur-Rehmand, Juman Derwan and Dr Ziauddin of Khidmatgar panel.
They slammed the ruling Haq Parast party for assault on opposition members and misbehaviour with female colleagues. They said that all claims of women protection by the present ruling coalition, including MQM, had been exposed to the public as false political slogans.
Taj Haider said that since the Haq Parsat members had come into power they were continually resorting to violence against opposition members, and alleged that ruling party had always misbehaved with opposition members in City Council meetings.
He warned that if the ruling Haq Parast group did not renounce its violent attitude in the council against the opposition, it would retaliate in a similarly way with force. He hoped that peoples' government would soon come into power to support the oppressed section of the society against aggressors. He demanded that those involved in physical assault on opposition members should be arrested forthwith.
Deputy parliamentary leader of opposition Nasrullah Shaji termed Thursday's city council session a 'darkest day' in the history of the local government. He said that the ruling party had unleashed violence on opposition leaders and members including women members, who were subjected to torture in front of media.
He criticised MQM, also a coalition partner of the present government, for victimising the opposition and violence against opposition.
Saeed Ghani said that the ruling Haq Parsat group was all set to bulldoze the opposition and had been doing so for the last three to four months.
He said that the ruling party members were persistently threatening opposition members of dire consequences if they continued protests during Council sessions.
He vowed to struggle till the main culprits of the incident were arrested, alleging that police refused to lodge FIR against the ruling party's members for their assaults against the opposition. He demanded of the Election Commission to take notice of the violence by Haq Parast members in the city council and cancel their membership.