KARACHI: In a targeted operation early Wednesday morning, Rangers forces carried out a raid at Nine-Zero, the headquarters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in Karachi, with the party claiming that several leaders had been arrested.
A Rangers spokesman said a large cache of illegal weapons had been recovered in the “information-based operation” and that several “criminals” had also been arrested.
MQM leaders claimed Rangers forces had conducted a “siege and search operation” at the party's headquarters, ransacked its offices and had arrested several leaders of the political party.
In a statement issued hours after the start of the operation, the MQM’s Rabita Committee said Rangers personnel had forcefully raided and ransacked the MQM’s head office. The party said that several members had been arrested, including central leaders Amir Khan, Abdul Haseeb, Dr Saleem Danish, Arshad Hussain, Dr Ayub Sheikh, and Sindh Assembly lawmaker Rehan Zafar.
Rangers raid unjustified: Altaf
MQM chief Altaf Hussain addressing party workers said the raid on Nine Zero and his sister’s house by Rangers was completely unjustified.
He also condemned the killing of MQM activist Waqas Ali Shah and blamed the Rangers for shooting him, adding that whichever young activist the Rangers could take into custody, they did so without any warrants. He also said that over 60 workers of MQM have been arrested during the raid today.
The MQM chief questioned why no other party’s offices were ever raided in this manner and further said that the party had requested for an army operation in Karachi to stop the killings in the city, however, instead of an army operation a Rangers raid has been conducted.
Altaf Hussain made it clear that MQM has zero tolerance for terrorism and any terrorist elements within the party, adding that, however, if the Rangers still felt MQM was at fault then why not hand over the whole party to the Rangers and hand over Karachi to Jamat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
MQM meets to discuss future course of action
The MQM Rabita Committee is simultaneously meeting in London and Karachi to discuss the party’s future course of action following the Rangers raid.
The MQM is expected to hold a news conference after the meeting concludes.
MQM worker Waqas Ali Shah killed
However, Karachi Police Chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo refuted the claims and said that Waqas was not killed by the Rangers and was in fact was shot in the head by a bullet from a small fire-arm.
Thebo said that he was stating information from the post mortem report from Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
In an interview to news agency Reuters, MQM leader Aminul Haque claimed dozens of party workers had been picked up by the Rangers.
“Rangers opened fire killing one of our workers, Waqas Ali Shah, and wounding a cameraman from a private news channel,” he added.
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