Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Muhammad Hussain Mahenti has said that the history of May-12 mayhem was being repeated in the city. “Why the citizens are being punished for the contempt of court notice issued by the Supreme Court to Altaf Hussain,” Mahenti questioned in a statement issued on Saturday. 

The JI leader said that the people and labourers had been deprived of their bread through the closure of CNG stations, petrol pumps, clinics, medical stores, public transport, markets, fruit and vegetable markets and shops in the city. Mahenti alleged that the MQM was trying to sabotage the SC verdict over anomalies in the voters’ lists and was pressurising the judiciary by staging protests. 

“Anti-judicial policies are being carried out by burning effigies of the chief justice of Pakistan and using false language against the judiciary during the protests,” he said. Mahenti also said that the city and its people were taken hostage, while the government and law-enforcement agencies were keeping mum over the deteriorating law and order situation.He urged the media to inform the people about the real facts without feeling pressure and fear of terrorists.

The JI leader expressed deep concerns over media reports stating that “some unidentified miscreants are producing disturbance in the city”. He said that everyone knew that one of the parties in the government coalition was spreading terrorism in the city.  He demanded the government to take notice of conspiracies being hatched against the judiciary and deal with terrorists with an iron hand for restoring peace in the city. He added that the government was equally responsible for the brewing security situation by supporting one of its coalition partners.