MQM cries foul over raids, arrests

Karachi
In an emergency meeting of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) London and Karachi Rabita Committee’s following a raid at the party’s Korangi sector office, the senior party leadership on Wednesday drew a future line of action with to deal with raids and arrests of its workers and sector in-charges.
Strongly condemning the raid and arrest of its party workers by law enforcement agencies, the party termed the action a vicious ‘conspiracy’ to rob MQM off its public mandate.
In a statement issued by the party, workers in Korangi sector were busy with their election campaign preparations when a heavy contingent of Rangers surrounded the sector office and adjoining areas.
The personnel were said to have entered the office and arrested sector in-charge, Waseem Shama, finance secretary Asghar Yaqoob along with 15 more workers of the party.
Having previously complained of similar raids, the party said search operations had also been conducted at MQM’s sector offices in Malir, PIB Colony, Liaquatabad and other areas, whereas its candidates contesting local government elections had also been arrested.
MQM complained of not being allowed to run its election campaign while banned outfits were openly fielding candidates and contesting elections.
The state was using its repressive powers to keep MQM out of local government elections in order to impose Jamaat-e-Islami and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on the city’s people, the statement further read.
The committee member’s claimed the people of Karachi were aware of the hidden motives behind the action against MQM, but would not let the conspiracies take over the party’s success. The Chief Election Commissioner, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, PM Nawaz Sharif, and COAS Gen Raheel Sharif were also appealed to take notice of the raids at MQM offices in Karachi and order for the release of its arrested workers and office-bearers.

Families protest
As the party chief was addressing activists of the Korangi sector at the Jinnah Ground, who were summoned to Nine Zero following the raid, family members of the arrested workers staged a protest calling for immediate dissolution of the Coordination Committee.
The protestors chanted slogans against the committee and party members and demanded that they be immediately suspended.

Raid
Police sources confirmed the arrests of several activists of a political party in a raid conducted by personnel of law en forcement agencies on an office of the party in Korangi.
They identified some of the arrested workers as Waseem, Shama Bhai, sector incharge Asghar Yaqoob, sector member Nadeem Akhtar, joint unit incharge, Rafique Sheikh and Ibrahim.