MELBOURNE: Several videos surfaced on social media that showed Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) London workers waving the party flags and sloganeering for the self-exiled party founder Altaf Hussain during the T20 World Cup 2022 final match between Pakistan and England at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium (MCG) on Sunday.
The videos raised the question of why the political workers were granted permission to bring MQM-L flags and raise slogans for Altaf Hussain at the MCG.
آج کا میچ الطاف بھائی جیت گئے 🏏✌️#T20WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/HuOSs0JCo6
— Hassan Butt (@IHassanButt) November 13, 2022
Eyewitnesses told News360 that not only MQM London workers, but a large number of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists were also present in and outside the Melbourne ground, however, nobody was permitted to carry the flags of their political parties inside the ground.
ٹی 20 ورلڈ کپ کے فائنل میچ کے موقع پر میلبورن کے اسٹیڈیئم کے اندر ایم کیو ایم کے پرجوش کارکنوں نے 1992 کے ورلڈ کپ کی یاد تازہ کردی۔
الطاف بھائی کے وفاپرستوں کو سلام۔ #AltafAtMCG #T20WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/nvBpHJ8uIC— Mustafa Azizabadi (@azizabadi) November 14, 2022
They said that PTI workers were seen carrying the party flags outside the stadiums but only MQM-L workers were allowed to independently wave party flags inside the MCG. Questions arose about why the MQM-L workers are permitted to exhibit their political association inside the ground.
It was surprising to see that the MCG authorities stayed unnoticed regarding the activities of MQM-L workers during the T20 WC final.
Congratulations Hassan Bhai verified from the Herat @IHassanButt#StopBiasWithAltaf pic.twitter.com/B1NSDJSQTp
— Kamran Siddiqui (@toxic5687) November 13, 2022
It is pertinent to mention here that MQM founder Altaf Hussain is a self-exiled Pakistani politician who is staying in London since 1992 and has been declared a fugitive in several cases of murder, target killings, treason, violence and hate speeches.
Pakistani authorities carried out a massive crackdown on Hussain’s political party after his provocative speeches in 2015 that led to violent attacks on media houses and protests.