MQM-London leader Sathi Ishaq, 23 others arrested

Party believes arrests being made to make PSP’s Jan 29 rally successful

KARACHI: A day after the arrest of the assistant registrar of University of Karachi for his alleged links with Muttahida Quami Movement-London (MQM-L), over two dozen more workers, including a key leader of the party, were arrested on the second consecutive day of an operation against the party.

MQM-London has already announced to hold its public rally from Ayesha Manzil to Mazar-e-Quaid on January 21 under the umbrella of the Pakistan Qaumi Movement (PQM) in which an address of the MQM-L chief Altaf Hussain to the participants of the rally is also expected.



The party’s key leader, Sathi Ishaq, was arrested during a raid conducted in Saddar Thursday night.

MQM-London leader Nadeem Nusrat confirmed the arrest and demanded the immediate release of Sathi.

Although the Rangers spokesperson remained tight-lipped when contacted for comments, sources in the party told The Express Tribune that the party is also considering canceling the rally on January 21 following the frequent arrests of party workers and sympathisers. 

MQM deplores arrests

Meanwhile, the MQM-L coordination committee condemned the arrests of its party leaders and workers. “Rangers sped up operations against the party following the directives of the federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Khan,” read a statement issued by the party on Friday.

“The aim is to arrest the party workers to make the PSP rally successful which is to be held on Jan 29,” read the statement. “MQM was invited to the rally [by PQM] and Altaf bhai was invited to make an address,” said the party’s spokesperson, adding that PQM is the only authority to cancel or postpone the rally while it is upto MQM-L to decide whether it should join the rally or not.

Crime Data : Other arrests of MQM-L workers

• Two MQM Malir sector members, Adil Hafeez and Waqar arrested from Malir.

• Joint Town Organizers, Naseem and Salman arrested from Nazimabad.

• In-charge Unit 133-C Atif Jamal arrested from North Karachi.

• MQM ex-Surjani sector in-charge Hafiz Ansari arrested from Surjani.

• Former sector member Abdul Laiq, Jamshed, Zafar and Afzal Noorani arrested from Gulshan.

• Former organiser Union Council No 4 Mairjauddin Shaikh apprehended from Mehmoodabad.

• Shaikh Fareed Qureshi and Syed Mohsin also arrested from Mehmoodabad.

• Anwar Nizami, Muhammad Iqbal and Haider Mughal arrested from Mehmoodabad.

• Izhar Khan and Muhammad Azam arrested from Abul Hassan Isphani Road

• Former Scheme 33 in-charge Aziz Ishaq arrested from Federal B Area.

Sources in the LEA told The Express Tribune that the arrests are part of a crackdown against the party while lists of party workers and organisers are also being prepared.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2017.