Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers on Monday evening ransacked ARY News Saddar office leaving a number of staff members injured.
The move comes shortly after MQM announced holding protests in front of SAMAA, Geo News and ARY News against “lack of coverage of the party’s hunger strike” at press club.
According to TV channels, MQM chief Altaf Hussain in his speech earlier today told protesters “to storm the offices of TV channels”.
Senior ARY anchor Kashif Abbasi said, “They are Muttahida people. He (Altaf) ordered them to do it and within 10 minutes all this happened.”
The police also confirmed that, “MQM workers pelted stones upon police and the ARY office”, adding that they also resorted to aerial firing outside the office. However, there have been no arrests so far.
Armed workers of the political party started abusing and torturing channel workers, stole and damaged property in the episode which continued for more than an hour.
Reception and marketing section of the channel suffered the most as violent party workers entered the section and started damaging work equipment and furniture.
Hundreds of ARY News workers including women were held hostage for about an hour with no help from police, Rangers or any other law enforcement agency.
MQM workers also resorted to aerial firing around the office and burnt cars and motorcycles belonging to ARY News’ employees.
It is pertinent to mention here that ARY News’ Saddar office is located within city’s Red Zone.
 workers on Monday evening ransacked ARY News Saddar office leaving a number of staff members injured.){kind=link}