A senior leader and founding member of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf was attacked here today with bats and sticks, allegedly by workers of MQM, ahead of the upcoming by-elections to the National Assembly.
The convoy of Imran Ismail, one of the founding members of PTI, was attacked while he was on his way to Azizabad to oversee preparations for an upcoming rally.
Television footages showed that unidentified men, allegedly belonging to Mutthaida-e-Qaumi Movement (MQM), wielding bats and sticks attacked Ismail's convoy near Jinnah Ground where the MQM headquarters is located.
Ismail was in the area to oversee the arrangements of the campaign rally for his candidacy in NA 246, one of the constituencies in Karachi, Pakistan's most populous city.
The by-election for this national assembly seat, which was vacated after the resignation of MQM's Nabeel Gabol, will be held on April 23.
The footages showed the men using cricket bats to smash the windows of Ismail's white land cruiser. The windows of another car were also smashed and jeering people were seen kicking the vehicles.
A PTI spokesman condemning the incident said Ismail had gone to Azizabad to see arrangements for the PTI rally at the Jinnah ground on April 19.
"My workers and I were pelted with sticks and stones by MQM workers while we were on our way to Jinnah Ground," Ismail said in a press conference later.
Jinnah ground for long has been a venue used by the MQM to hold its rallies and its chief Altaf Hussain usually addresses party workers here on telephone from London.
Just two days back Altaf had said in a rally that people should take notice of the insulting language being used by Ismail against him.
Ismail also said that such attacks would not deter the PTI from holding the rally.
The MQM and PTI have been at loggerheads and have exchanged strong language after the paramilitary rangers raided MQM headquarters earlier this month and arrested several people and recovered weapons and ammunition.
