karachi -


PTI Chairman Imran Khan held MQM chief Altaf Hussain directly responsible for the murder of a senior party leader in Karachi on Saturday night.
Zehra Shahid Hussain, PTI’s Sindh senior vice-president, was gunned down in Defence Housing Authority Phase-IV late on Saturday night. Apparently Zehra was killed in a robbery attempt, but it being timed with re-election to NA-250 could turn out to be a politically-motivated murder since PTI had alleged rigging in this constituency on May 11.
Police said the 65-year-old was attacked by unidentified men outside her residence, and received fatal head injuries. She was ferried to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where she expired. Police also suspected it was a targeted killing.
Condemning the horrendous incident, PTI chief Imran Khan blamed Altaf Hussain for Zehra’s killing. He alleged his party leaders and activists had been threatened by Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s head.
In a tweet, Imran Khan said he held Altaf Hussain directly responsible for the killing as he (Altaf) openly threatened PTI activists and leaders through public broadcasts. In another tweet, the PTI chief held the British government responsible for the incident, saying he had warned it about Altaf Hussain after his open threats to PTI workers lives.
Zehra was attached to PTI for past 16 years. She also remained party’s Sindh women wing chief for some time. SSP CID Fayyaz Khan is heading the team probing the killing.
Later in the night, enraged party workers staged sit-ins in Karachi and Islamabad. Addressing the participants at D-Chowk in Federal Capital, Imran said “I am shocked to learn about Zehra Aapa’s murder. We have told the Election Commission of Pakistan to take the threats against PTI seriously. We will stage a sit-in in Islamabad.” The PTI chairman said the party will also stage protests in London.
According to a private TV channel, Muttahida chief Altaf Hussain also strongly condemned the killing of PTI leader.
PPP, MWM join MQM repoll boycott
Earlier, PPP and Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) announced to join MQM in boycotting the repolling on 43 polling stations of NA-250. The MQM announced the boycott on Friday after the ECP rejected its demand for repolling in the entire constituency NA-250.