Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), one of the ruling coalition partners, on Friday decided to boycott President Asif Ali Zardari's address to the joint sitting of the Parliament scheduled for Saturday (today) against what it said government's failure to take action against the extortion mafia in Karachi.
A meeting of MQM Co-ordination Committee was held in London and Pakistan simultaneously to deliberate over the situation arose after the party's protest against collection of extortion money from the businessmen and traders in Karachi. The meeting noted that no action was taken by the federal and provincial governments against the extortion mafia in Karachi in spite of peaceful protests by the MQM in the National Assembly and the Sindh Assembly.
It alleged that only non-serious statements were made and President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani did not intervened in the matter. Keeping in view the pathetic attitude of the government, the Committee decided to boycott the address of President Zardari to the joint sitting of the Parliament. It also decided that the MQM would continue to lodge peaceful protests at every forum as long as practical measures were not taken to crush the hydra of extortion mafia operating in the city.