KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Saturday announced that his party has fielded 671 candidates for seats of National and Provincial Assemblies across the country.

He revealed this while addressing a public meeting at Lal Qila Ground, Azizabad in Karachi.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the party has fielded 21 candidates for National Assembly and 45 for the provincial assembly, in Balochistan seven for NA and 21 for PA, in Punjab 132 for NA and 256 for PA, in Sindh (Rural) 41 for NA and 86 for PA and in Karachi 20 for NA and 42 for PA.

The MQM chief said that a total of 221 candidates for NA and 450 for PA seats would contest general elections across the country, while MQM had also fielded 22 women on general seats.

He said that false propaganda for being a local and ethnic party has proved wrong today, adding that MQM is a national party that represents all Pakistanis.

“Every political party should have equal opportunity to run their election campaign. Terrorist elements are trying to keep MQM away from election process,” said Hussain.

He demanded of the interim government and the chief election commissioner to take notice of this situation.

The MQM chief also asked all parties to accept others’ mandate. He also demanded of Taliban to throw weapons and enter national harmony, adding that we could not change others through force.

Altaf Hussain said that all political parties had equal rights to take part in elections. Addressing on the occasion, Deputy Convener of the party’s Rabita (coordination) Committee Dr Farooq Sattar said that election 2013 is a contest between ideological and inherited politicians. He hoped that the MQM would form governments across the country.

Yousaf Shahwani, Gulfraz Khan Khattak and Ashfaq Mangi also addressed the meeting.