Police in Karachi have arrested 11 individuals for allegedly participating in a rally where slogans were raised in support of MQM founder Altaf Hussain, according to a first information report (FIR) registered in the city.
The case was filed on Thursday under Sections 153-A and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which relate to promoting enmity between groups and acts carried out with common intention. The FIR names 11 individuals who were taken into custody during the operation.
According to the complaint lodged by a police constable, officers on patrol duty observed a group of people gathered on Arif Jiyeja Street carrying flags and chanting slogans in favour of Altaf Hussain. The flags reportedly bore messages supporting Hussain and marking the 48th foundation day of the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO).
Police stated that the gathering had the potential to create tensions and provoke hostility among different political groups in the area. Additional police personnel were called to the scene, after which the demonstrators were surrounded and arrested.
The arrests have sparked a response from the MQM, which claimed that its workers were detained during a raid conducted at an office located on I.I. Chundrigar Road. The party maintained that the premises had no connection with MQM activities and called for the immediate release of those taken into custody.
Altaf Hussain, who founded the APMSO during his student years at the University of Karachi before later establishing the MQM, remains a controversial political figure. His political movement faced major challenges following an August 2016 speech that led to a crackdown on the party and the sealing of key MQM offices in Karachi.
Following those developments, MQM leaders in Pakistan distanced themselves from Hussain and removed references to him from the party’s constitution.
Authorities have not yet announced whether additional arrests are expected as investigations into the incident continue.