KARACHI: The Mohajir Qaumi Movement laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of Baitul Hamza on Saturday, after it was demolished two months ago. The police, however, foiled the attempt to rebuild the MQM headquarters.

The attempt at reconstruction was marked by clashes between party workers and the police in the area. A large number of women workers of the party gathered at the site of the demolished Baitul Hamza in the afternoon. They set up a camp at the demolished site of the building, which has been flattened to the ground, where they began a Mehfil-e-Milad. Farzana Afaq, wife of party chief Afaq Ahmed, laid the foundation stone.

The police cordoned off the area and sent back a truck loaded with construction material. Women workers were infuriated at the sending back of the truck and they gathered around the SHO Landhi, Nadir Khan. Women workers of the party besieged the SHO till late in the evening, while Mehfil-e-Milad continued in the ground. Women workers of the MQM were in the nearby streets also and they pelted vehicles with stones. The area was tense and remained shut after midday.

After the MQM workers dispersed around Maghreb prayers, the police took away the foundation stone. The town police officer, Latif Siddiqui, said the construction was illegal on the site.

The party’s women’s wing told reporters that they would try again to rebuild Baitul Hamza. They said women workers would launch a fill- jail (Jail Bharo) movement also.

This was the second attempt by the MQM to rebuild its demolished headquarters. In the second week of June, Abid Jaffri, a candidate of the MQM in the byelection from NA-255, had tried to rebuild the party headquarters. The police, then, too had taken away construction material and policemen were deputed there to thwart any further attempt at reconstruction of Baitul Hamza.

Baitul Hamza was demolished on May 29 2003. The police sealed Baitul Hamza on November 16, 2002 after they obtained the sealing order from a sessions judge on the basis of a report that the MQM office may be a threat to law and order in the area. The MQM leadership went underground after the police operation. Later, some of they key members, including Amir Khan, secretary-general, senior vice chairman Iqbal Qureshi and others were arrested in different areas and they are now in jail. Afaq Ahmed continues to be underground.

The Muttahida was allowed to take over MQM offices, as the party struck a deal with the highups in Islamabad for supporting the Pakistan Muslim League (Q).