MQM threaten to boycott joint session over extortionists

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) staged a walkout from the National Assembly in protest against the on-going unabated activities of extortion in the financial hub of the country, Karachi. The party has threatened to boycott the joint session of the Parliament House if action is not taken against this.

This was stated by MQM senior leader Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi while talking to media outside Parliament House here on Thursday at the rear of staging walkout from the lower house.

He said that not a single industrial area of the metropolitan is free from the extortion mafia, which has made the lives of people miserable, adding that the MQM might mull to boycott the joint session of both the House of the Parliament on March 17 to be addressed by the President Asif Ali Zardari if the government did not take concrete steps to rein in the extortion activities.

Rizvi went on to say that Karachi, being the financial hub, is the gravity center so if there is no peace of mind in the city, it could also impact the rest of the country.

Traders of the city were not given requisite security, adding that they will not let Karachi become hostage at the hand of extortionists, Abbas added.

He said that the government should take immediate notice of Karachi situation where the insecure traders have become victims of rising incidents of extortion