In what appeared to be an attempt to take advantage of the ongoing crisis within Karachi’s dominant political party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Tuesday lambasted Muttahida Qaumi Movement founder Altaf Hussain for his last month’s vitriolic speech, but assured the Urdu-speaking community that he would always stand with them as “being a Mohajir is not an insult”.

The MQM has been in the throes of a serious crisis following the Aug 22 anti-Pakistan speech of Mr Hussain. The Karachi-based leadership had already severed ties with him and has been running the show from here.

Mr Khan, who arrived here on Monday evening, used harsh terms at his party’s Pakistan Zindabad rally at Nishtar Park to describe the MQM’s “reign of terror” in Karachi.

PTI to march towards Raiwand on 24th

The event was held amid high security and with extra measures to protect the women sitting towards the right side of the stage. The usual fervour, which earned the PTI a majority of supporters from Karachi in the 2013 general elections, was missing this time around. It was evident from the half-empty ground.

Patriotic rhetoric and MQM-bashing replaced the usual fervour as one after the other PTI members raised slogans of Long Live Pakistan with Mr Khan, criticising the MQM supremo for “wreaking havoc in Pakistan”.

The PTI chief began his speech at around 10.30pm by criticising Mr Hussain, saying that a citizen of the United Kingdom was wreaking havoc in Pakistan and despite his anti-Pakistan slogans no concrete action had been taken against him.

He said that Mr Hussain “should be the last person to speak about Pakistan being a centre of terrorism, as he has contributed a lot to it by working along with Indian spy agency RAW”.

Referring to a meeting with journalists belonging to the Hindustan Times in 2003, he said that they told him that the MQM supremo was working for the Indian intelligence agency.

Speaking about the murder of slain MQM chairman Azeem Tariq in 1993, he alleged that an insecure Mr Hussain got him murdered as he was far more educated and informed individual.

Assuring the Urdu-speaking community of his support, he said, “Being a Mohajir is not an insult. You are not alone.”

The PTI chief said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif “is accused of a bigger crime and that is of corruption which was revealed through the Panama Papers leaks but the focus shifted from it”.

He announced that he will lead a public march towards Raiwind on Sept 24, adding that PM Sharif has “taken over institutions and needs to be countered”.

Addressing the courts, he said that what other way the PTI should seek to counter corruption, money laundering and tax evasion practised by the Sharif family.

He also congratulated the Pakistan army for “protecting the state against terrorism”.