By IANS
Karachi : Accused of nursing a front organisation that allegedly placed bullets in the cars of three journalists, the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has termed the reports "a conspiracy" and asked the government to book the culprits.
The party, which has a strong base in Karachi, assured 'protection' to the two journalists, Mazhar Abbas abnd Zarrar Khan, who lodged a first information report (FIR) with a police station here on Wednesday.
While two journalists were threatened, a bullet was thrown into the car of a third one late Tuesday.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain, who operates from London, said in a statement issued in London: "Conspirators are continuously trying to destroy peace in Karachi and bullets in envelopes found in the cars of known journalist is part of that scheme."
Hussain asked the government to initiate an inquiry and bring the culprits to task. They condemned "the harassment of journalists through such tactics".
The organisation in question, Muhajir Rabita Council (MRC) had last week released an open letter in which it threatened senior journalists. Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said Wednesday that it was not difficult to guess who was behind the threat since the two scribes were on that list.
"It is very threatening. This is a serious issue. It is an attempt to gag the press, but we will not compromise on our objectivity," Mazhar Abbas, who is also secretary-general of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, said Wednesday.
Karachi has been tense since May 12, when over 48 people were killed in clashes between rival political groups that disrupted a visit to the city by suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
Chaudhry is at the centre of a crisis that has gripped Pakistan since President Pervez Musharraf tried to sack him in March.
Musharraf has variously termed the killings a conspiracy and on Wednesday accused the opposition parties and the media of 'politicising' a judicial matter.