Islamabad: At least one person was killed and several others injured as violent protesters allegedly belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party stormed the office of a private news channel, ARY News, on Monday, in the southern port city of Karachi for not providing the party with "due media coverage".
"Armed workers of the political party snatched firearms from security guards, started abusing and torturing channel workers, stole and damaged property in an episode which continued for more than an hour," the channel said, adding that hundreds of its workers including women were held hostage for about an hour.
Police said MQM workers pelted stones at police and ARY office, adding that they also resorted to aerial firing outside the office.
Terming it a conspiracy against the MQM, a senior party official, Syed Ali Raza Abidi, tweeted, "MQM has been protesting since past three years non-violently. Regretfully, masked men at Fawara Chowk created these deplorable scenes."
In a second tweet, Abidi said, "Dissociate yourself from violent mobs sent for a purpose!" Wasay Jalil, another MQM official, claimed that people were protesting peacefully at ARY office against biased media coverage when suddenly police started firing on peaceful protesters.
A private TV station reported, "Police resorted to shelling to disperse the angry mob and fired rubber bullets, injuring the protesters."
"At least one person was brought dead to hospital while several others were injured," Dr. Seemin Jamali, head of emergency at Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre told reporters.
TV channels reported that MQM protesters rushed to ARY office following criticism of local TV channels in a telephonic address by party chief, Altaf Hussain, who lives in exile in London, to his party workers.
"Armed workers of the political party snatched firearms from security guards, started abusing and torturing channel workers, stole and damaged property in an episode which continued for more than an hour," the channel said, adding that hundreds of its workers including women were held hostage for about an hour.
Police said MQM workers pelted stones at police and ARY office, adding that they also resorted to aerial firing outside the office.
Terming it a conspiracy against the MQM, a senior party official, Syed Ali Raza Abidi, tweeted, "MQM has been protesting since past three years non-violently. Regretfully, masked men at Fawara Chowk created these deplorable scenes."
In a second tweet, Abidi said, "Dissociate yourself from violent mobs sent for a purpose!" Wasay Jalil, another MQM official, claimed that people were protesting peacefully at ARY office against biased media coverage when suddenly police started firing on peaceful protesters.
A private TV station reported, "Police resorted to shelling to disperse the angry mob and fired rubber bullets, injuring the protesters."
"At least one person was brought dead to hospital while several others were injured," Dr. Seemin Jamali, head of emergency at Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre told reporters.
TV channels reported that MQM protesters rushed to ARY office following criticism of local TV channels in a telephonic address by party chief, Altaf Hussain, who lives in exile in London, to his party workers.