HYDERABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQMP) on Monday suffered a setback when Akram Rajput, said to be wielding considerable influence within the MQM-dominated Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) for being a labour leader, defected to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) along with his supporters.

Mr Rajput is the general secretary of the HMC staff union (CBA) and claims to have support of around 2,500 workers who are also joining the PPP along with him. He has chosen this day for the defection as on this date in 1986 he had joined the MQM af ter parting ways with the Peoples Students Federation (PSF), the student wing of the PPP.

Mr Rajput had often been in a confrontational mood with the MQM over the past several years and according to MQM sources, he remained suspended for a long time on that account.

Jubilant PPP workers and Rajput`s supporters led by PPP Senator Aajiz Dhamra, Dr Irfan Gul Magsi, Pasha Kazi, Kazi Ashhad and Ahsan Abro proceeded to the HMC building in a rally and were accorded a warm welcome by employees of the corporation who showered rose petals on them.

`Today PPP has conquered the fort of HMC,` said Mr Dhamra in his brief speech outside HMC`s Jinnah Hall, which was locked on the orders of MQM-Pakistan Mayor Tayyab Hussain.

PPP workers intended to get in but stopped short of breaking the lock upon intervention by some of their senior party colleagues. A notice was found affixed on the hall`s main door directing officers not allow use of hall for `any political or unofficial programme`.The HMC CBA had on Oct 27 submitted an application with the mayor seeking use of the hall for a programme relating to Diwali celebrations as had been in vogue in the past. The request was not responded.

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Rajput claimed that the notice for closure of hall was affixed only on Sunday night but was dated Oct 28.

In his speech, Dhamra alleged that it (the HMC building) is the place where the seed of ethnic riots was sown and hatred was created between Sindhiand Urduspeaking Sindhis living here.He said that the mayor`s refusal to allow use of Jinnah Hall for today`s programme reflected that the MQM-Pakistan believed in politics of hatred.

`The mayor has tried to sow the same seed once again,` he alleged, and warned the mayor to refrain from such politics.

Dr Irfan Gul Magsi also spoke to the crowd.

Spelling out the reasons for parting ways with the MQM, Mr Rajput told Dawn that he got disenchanted with that party. He was critical of the way the HMC had been handled over the years by the MQMand the of ficers backed by it. `They [elected H MC leaders] are protecting corrupt elements [within HMC] while lower cadre employees are harassed,` he alleged.

He said he had asked them to decide cases of all out-of-turn promotions, including that of his, but nothing was done.

The contract of publicity was given to an officer`s close friend, who had not yet deposited an amount of Rs8 million in the HMC accounts, he claimed.

Explaining his position with regard to the hall closure, Mayor Tayyab Hussain told this reporterthat he had received the request [for using the hall for today`s programme] by regular office mail.

`The hall has its sanctity and it can be used in larger interest of council. Their union president agreed with me and said he will try to prevail upon them so I expected union will see him again. Then he got busy in chief minister`s programme on Friday,` he said.

The mayor said that HMC`s problems were older ones and he assumed the charge only last month. `Right now I need some space to work,` he said.