‘Missing’ MQM leader returns safely

Karachi
A few hours after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) moved the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances against the "enforced" disappearance of senior leader Kamal Mallick, Rangers officials talking to Geo News disclosed that he had been taken for questioning and was allowed to return later.
However, the coordination committee member returned safely to Nine Zero on Thursday night where his family and ot her party members were also present.
The MQM went into a frenzy on Thursday, after Mallick was picked up by Rangers' personnel in what the party claimed was a raid to search his house late on Wednesday night.
According to a statement issued by the party on Thursday, a heavy contingent of Rangers had arrived at Mallick’s house at around 2:30am on Thursday and after scaling the boundary walls, searched it for about two hours before whisking him away along with his academic certificates and documents.
It stated that the paramilitary personnel also removed all CCTV cameras and video-recording equipment and took it with them. It was said that Mallick’s whereabouts remained unknown after his “illegal arrest”.
The party’s statement revealed that a petition had been filed with the UN’s working group on enforced and involuntary disappearance pertaining to Kamal Mallick’s “illegal abduction” and the international group had confirmed the receipt of their application.
The MQM also appealed to the government of Pakistan to make efforts to find out his whereabouts without any delay.
In a press conference held at the Khursheed Begum Memorial Hall later in the day, Dr Farooq Sattar said the MQM condemned the brutality of law enforcers. He said Mallick had undergone a liver transplant two years ago and was seriously ill.
Sattar said it seemed the Karachi operation was being pointed towards the MQM. “Instead of arresting terrorists, the operation has been targeted towards the MQM and the party is being victimised. Its leaders are being arrested and whisked away to undisclosed destinations,” he said. “This is despite the fact that the MQM was the only party who first supported the operation against terrorists. But it is being punished for its good deeds.”
Mallick is a member of the party’s coordination committee and has served as the nazim of Karachi’s Gulberg Town. He suffered from a serious liver ailment and underwent transplant surgery two years ago. He safely returned to Nine Zero where party chief Altaf Hussain congratulated his family and other MQM members on his safe return.
Earlier, the Sindh High Court had issued notices to the inspector general of police and director general of the Sindh Rangers on a petition against Mallick’s alleged illegal detention, adds Jamal Khurshid.
His wife, Asma Kamal Mallick, informed the court that her spouse was taken into custody by personnel of law enforcement agencies at their residence in North Nazimabad.
She submitted that police were not disclosing the whereabouts of detainee, and asked the court to direct the federal and provincial law enforcement agencies to provide details of his arrest. A division bench, headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, issued notices to the police and Rangers chiefs, and called their comments by October 15.