KARACHI, Nov 4: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has said that the media, the Supreme Court and other courts demonstrated a feudal mentality as they never took notice of or raised their voice against illegal actions of a group of lawyers and politicians.

In a telephonic address from London to a gathering organised by the Graduate Forum here on Sunday, he said: “Those who talked about independence of the judiciary were very happy when the court took suo motu notices against police and their action against lawyers and journalists, but where were they when the SC did nothing against those lawyers who attacked Dr Farooq Sattar.”

Referring to the SC’s order allowing the Election Commission to hold presidential election but not to notify the results till the decision on petitions challenging the candidature of President Pervez Musharraf, he said: “After the court order, all those lawyers and politicians who were raising their voice for the independence of the judiciary brought out a procession carrying the coffin of the Supreme Court and some of the lawyers openly threatened to set it ablaze, but the court did not take suo motu action against them.”

Mr Hussain said 14 MQM workers were killed and peaceful rallies were attacked on May 12 but the whole media accused it of indulging in violence.

“If we give a call for a strike against the media then it will consider it an attack on freedom of the press but what should we do? Should we remain silent and they continue to abuse us,” he asked.

He said the persistent ad hocism was because of a ‘feudo-political’ culture which was contrary to the democratic culture.

He said the problems of unemployment, price hike and lack of educational and health facilities were still there because of the feudo-political culture.