Tensions Flare at Houston Qawwali Event: Former MPA by Irum Azeem Farooqi and Police Chief Muzaffar Siddiqui Offer Conflicting Accounts
By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
HOUSTON : A verbal and physical altercation during a recent Qawwali program in Houston has sparked controversy, with former Member of the Sindh Assembly and ex-MQM leader Irum Azeem Farooqi issuing a clarification regarding the incident involving Houston Police Chief Muzaffar Siddiqui.
Speaking to Jago Times over the phone, Aram Azeem stated that Muzaffar Siddiqui was the first to initiate the altercation, a fact she claims was witnessed by several others present at the event. “The young man involved had briefly stepped outside to smoke. Upon his return, he was sitting with his brother, but the event organizers seated Muzaffar Siddiqui on a chair that the young man had previously occupied,” she said.
Former Sindh Assembly member Aram Azeem Farooqi, who gave a statement to police against Muzaffar Siddiqui standing by her version of events.
According to Farooqi, the young man’s friends requested Siddiqui to vacate the seat, which allegedly led to an angry reaction. “Muzaffar Siddiqui became agitated and grabbed the young man by the neck and dragged him,” she said. In response to a question, she clarified that she did not see anyone punch Siddiqui, but was informed that he fell during the scuffle and may have injured himself by hitting a chair.
She added that after giving her statement to police on the scene, the young man was released. “I have no personal enmity with Muzaffar Siddiqui. I only stated what I saw and what I believe to be the truth,” she said.
Irum also claimed that the young man’s family informed her they were being pressured by the other party to apologize, which they have refused to do.
Latest image of Police Chief Muzaffar Siddiqui showing a visible injury on his face photo obtained by Jago Times.
Muzaffar Siddiqui Responds
In a separate phone conversation with Jago Times, Police Chief Muzaffar Siddiqui offered his side of the story. He stated that community members had urged him to resolve the matter amicably. “Someone standing behind me an associate of the young man suddenly punched me,” Siddiqui alleged. “I was momentarily stunned.”
He added that when the police arrived, the responding officer was in training and may not have properly assessed the situation, which is why the young man was not detained.
He further said that if he had physically assaulted the young man, then why were there no visible marks on him? Meanwhile, according to Muzaffar Siddiqui, the young man was openly using abusive language toward police officers, and the video of the incident is available for everyone to see.
He confirmed that detectives are currently investigating and emphasized that he intends to pursue justice against the individual who attacked him. Siddiqui also suggested that Aram Azeem Farooqi’s testimony may have been motivated by personal bias, alleging a history of antagonism between them.
Investigation Ongoing
As of now, it remains to be seen what conclusions the police investigation will yield. Should no charges be filed against the youth, some may interpret this as a sign that the authorities did not find sufficient merit in Siddiqui’s allegations. The coming days are likely to bring clarity to the case.
