Scores of workers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement observed sit-in in front of Multan Press Club against the arrest of MQM Chief Altaf Hussain. Their sit-in on Wednesday entered the second day and they vowed to continue their protest till Altaf Hussain remained in the custody of British authorities in a London hospital.
Carrying tri-coloured MQM flags and portraits of Altaf Hussain, the workers and supporters, led by senior party leaders, chanted slogans in his favour and demanded that the British authorities release him immediately. The sit-in is organised after MQM leader Hyder Abbas Rizvi appealed to the workers and supporters to participate in the protest, which he said would continue "until Hussain is not released".
MQM local leaders Mirza Furqan Mughal, Shamshad Jafari and other said "everyone should come to show solidarity with Hussain. The MQM is a political party that strongly believes in a democratic process and will demonstrate peaceful and democratic retaliation to this unfortunate incident," they said. However, no shutter down was observed in Multan and rest of southern Punjab. The MQM local leadership asked Hussain's followers to remain peaceful and "not to pay any attention to rumours".