HYDERABAD: Activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) came to blows in several localities of Hyderabad late on Thursday evening causing tension across the city. Several activists sustained club and brick injuries in the ensuing intermittent clashes that continued into the morning. Firing into the air by rival activists was reported from some localities but no one was reported hit with bullets. Police said they also had to fire into the air to scare away the embattled activists and create a buffer zone between the two sides.

In the early hours of Friday, when the violence had almost died down, the MQM unit office in the Pinjra Pole area near the Gul Shah Bukhari shrine caught fire and the party claimed it was an arson attack. The furniture inside the office was destroyed.

It all began when a PSP ceremony was in progress in the Hali Road area, a locality where PSP leader Anis Qaimkhani’s house is located. A group of MQM workers and supporters gathered at the venue which triggered a heated bout of sloganeering.

The situation grew tense when they chanted slogans against each other’s leaders, Altaf Hussain and Mustafa Kamal. Consequently, some of them came to blows. No one was, however, physically hurt and the situation was brought under control by their respective leaders and police.

Shortly after the PSP ceremony, a group of activists gathered outside the nearby office of the MQM and raised slogans against MQM chief apparently in retaliation to the disturbance at the ceremony. MQM activists responded with pro-Altaf slogans turning the situation tense again. One of the PSP activists, later identified by a police source as Imran, came very close to MQM lawmaker Rashid Khilji during the acrimony and was saved by police from being beaten up. However, it caused a clash between the rival activists who attacked each other with stones. At least eight activists from both sides were injured.

Police intervened to disperse them and create a buffer zone between the two sides pushing PSP activists towards the Bhai Khan ki Chari area and the MQM activists towards their office, according to a source in the City police station.

Unknown activists also fired shots but no one was wounded. Police called in reinforcement to prevent the unrest from spreading to other areas. However, charged MQM activists from different areas reached their office and tried to proceed to the nearby house of a PSP activst, Mr Iftikhar, but police foiled their attempt.

Incidents of firing were also reported from the Do Qabar and Pucca Qila areas soon after MQM deputy convener Amir Khan left the party office for Karachi. He was there to chair a workers’ meeting. MPA Khilji, speaking at an emergency press conference in the small hours of Friday, claimed that seven MQM activists were injured in the clashes. He said that a PSP activist, Hunain Safdar, was also injured. He alleged that 15 to 20 PSP supporters including Kamran Khanzada, Tariq Bhoora, Asghar, Tariq Shah and Iftikhar Lamba along with three to four policemen, including Haroon, attacked the MQM zonal office.

Police had reportedly picked up a PSP supporter, Kamran, who is the brother of Mr Iftikhar.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2016