Post date: May 19, 2013 9:22:45 PM
Imran Khan accuses UK-based MQM leader Altaf Hussain of the murder of Zahra Hussain, a senior female politician from Khan's Party
KARACHI, PAKISTAN (MAY 19, 2013) (REUTERS) - Pakistani politician Imran Khan on Sunday (May 19) accused his rival Altaf Hussain of being behind the fatal shooting of electoral candidate Zahra Shahid Hussain outside her home in Karachi on Saturday (May 18).
The 60-year-old Hussain had been senior vice president of the women's wing of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Sindh province.Khan made the accusation in a video message from his hospital bed where he is recuperating after a fall in an election rally.
"I hold Altaf Hussain responsible for this murder," Khan said. "Whatever happens, I am firmly standing against this murder because it is not the first time it happens. it has happened several times before. They wait outside the house of their target just like what happened with Zahra Hussein. I hold them responsible. They have issued two threats, one to the journalists and the other to our workers and supporters when they staged a protest at Teen Talwar," said Khan.
London-based Altaf Hussain heads the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party, which has its electoral base in Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi. MQMstrongly denies the charge of killing Zahra Hussain.
Last week's election gave the MQM 18 of 19 national assembly seats in Karachi, but Zahra Hussain's upmarket constituency voted again under tight security on Sunday. It is thought to be a stronghold of Khan's PTI.
The re-vote took place at only 43 of 180 polling stations. The MQM, which wanted re-polling of the whole constituency, boycotted the vote.
In recent days Altaf Hussain delivered a speech that was relayed to his supporters via television which many Pakistanis felt was an incitement to attack political rivals.British police are investigating whether or not it constituted hate speech.
Imran Khan had harsh words for the British government.
"I hold the British government responsible for this murder. Would the British government allow any one to give an address like this and incite violence against people in the United Kingdom?" he said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but tensions ran high between PTI and MQM supporters after Khan's party accused the MQM of widespread rigging.
Altaf Hussain's party is designated a terrorist organisation by Canada, a charge it strongly denies.
Around 150 people were killed in the run-up to national elections held last week, which handed a landslide victory to opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and hisPakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.
Pakistan's general elections, held on Saturday (May 11), were marred by a campaign by Islamists to block the voting.
Despite pre-poll violence and attacks that killed at least 40 people, voter turnout was a robust 60 percent.