KARACHI, April 25: The Mohajir Qaumi Movement, better known as MQM-Haqiqi, could not kick off its formal election campaign on Thursday due to what the party leadership described as ‘vague security concerns’ expressed by the law-enforcement agencies.

MQM-H chief Afaq Ahmed, who is contesting election on NA-251 and NA-255 seats, came out of his Defence residence on Thursday afternoon to formally launch the election campaign by going to Lines Area, Mehmoodabad and other neighbourhoods in the NA-251 constituency but claimed that he was barred from going beyond after a kilometre of walk by the Rangers and police.

Speaking at a press conference at his house guarded by security officials, he said: “They [law-enforcers] came to me and requested us not to go there and justified it with opaque security concerns, which clearly shows that we are not going to have equal space and opportunity to fight in the upcoming elections.”

Mr Ahmed said certain state organs were ‘patronising terrorists’. “The authorities have lied to the Supreme Court of Pakistan while claiming that there were no no-go areas in the city. The way we are being treated clearly shows how blatant that lie is,” he said.

The MQM-H chairman said he would move the Sindh High Court on Friday against the presence of no-go areas in the city.

“We are going to the court tomorrow. We will tell the court that we are being discriminated against and given no equal opportunity to run our campaign with the vigour and passion as others are doing,” he said.

He said the authorities were stopping his peaceful workers. He alleged that rival political party activists had been allowed to move anywhere in the city with weapons.

He said he had already informed the caretaker chief minister, the home minister and the police chief about his reservations but to no avail. Mr Ahmed, however, said the party would not boycott the upcoming general elections what come may.

“We are not going to boycott the elections. We’ll fight it out with all our strengths even if our lives are in danger. I appeal to the people to come out in large numbers and cast their votes. Please help us to make the city peaceful and prosperous,” he said.

The MQM-Haqiqi has fielded its candidates on 17 provincial and 10 national assembly seats ending a dry run of over a decade from electoral politics.

Last time the party had contested in 2002 elections and won one NA seat from district east. The party skipped the 2008 general elections.

Mr Ahmed re-emerged on the political arena with rejuvenated vigour early this month and issued the names of party candidates with the hope that they were there to stay and get the rivals feel an impact.

However, on Thursday he blamed the rival parties that they were not allowing an equal opportunity to the Haqiqi in the coming elections, and doubted that the vote would be free, fair and transparent as had been promised by the caretaker government and the election commission.