KARACHI:
Sindhi nationalist figure Bashir Qureshi was sent to Landhi jail on Friday, where he will stay while the police verify his weapons licences.
Qureshi was arrested a day earlier on suspicion of illegal possession, amid outrage from his party, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz. “I have licences for more than 10 weapons,” he told the media at the Malir district court, where he was showered with rose petals by supporters. “I ask the police and law enforcement agencies, why don’t they conduct an operation in Lalukhet and Sherpao Basti where there are a large number of automatic weapons and terrorists.”
The high-profile arrest comes at a time when the law enforcement agencies are trying to clean up Karachi regardless of political affiliation. Hundreds of people were tortured to death or killed in drive-by shootings in one of the city’s bloodiest summers. A helpless police force had complained to the Supreme Court that their hands were tied when it came to taking action against criminals as they were protected by political elements. The court wanted reports for how many arms licences were issued in the last two years. The numbers, albeit disputed, ran into the thousands.
Qureshi’s security guard Badruddin was also sent to prison with him for 14 days.
Malir Judicial Magistrate Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui said that the recovery of illegal weapons was out of the court’s jurisdiction and should be tried by the Supreme Court.
The court asked the police to verify the licences produced by the accused and bring the two men to court for the next hearing.
Qureshi and Badruddin were booked under section 13D and 13E of the Arms Ordinance as they were found in possession of weapons without a licence. The police claim to have recovered a large quantity of weapons in a raid at a house in Gulshan-e-Hadeed.
While Qureshi was sent on remand, the magistrate released a man who was arrested with him. He was identified as Sheeraz Ahmed Subhani, the son of DSP Ghulam Subhani. Sheeraz managed to produce a licence for his weapon.
Nearly 100 lawyers of the Malir Bar Association signed the wakalat nama (legal power of attorney) for the JSQM leader. Four lawyers, including Saleem Memon, Muhammad Khan Shaikh and Amanullah Yousafzai, argued Qureshi’s case. Qureshi maintains that the Rangers had arrested him deliberately in order to make the ongoing operation controversial. He added that he has been attacked twice. “The state can not protect us, therefore I have weapons to protect myself,” he said.
Amid these developments, tension gripped Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Sacchal Goth, Memon Goth, Ibrahim Hyderi and Chakra Goth and other Sindhi-dominated areas of the city where there was a complete strike on Friday.
Shops and markets remained closed. People blocked main roads, burnt tyres and fired shots in the air in a display of anger. A complete shutter-down strike was observed in Kandhkot, Kashmore, Tangwani and Ghauspur. JSQM activists marched through towns and burnt tyres in protest.
Initially, JSQM had decided to organise a three-day strike and were supported by other Sindhi nationalist parties. However, on Friday they called it off but decided to continue with organising the protests and rallies for two days. While talking to The Express Tribune, JSQM vice chairman Niaz Kalani said that they had decided to call off the strike because of the relief work. “Bashir Qureshi was arrested by the government to divert attention from its negligence in flood-affected areas,” Kalani said. “The government has failed to provide relief to the people and has started arresting those people who say things against its policies.”
(With additional information from PPI)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2011.
COMMENTS (17)
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Good decision for calling off strike as sindh already was much paralyzed due to floods.
Everyone knows you can get a prohibited bore license without any problems if you are moderately well off. Why is there confusion about guns and licenses? They are available via the many arms dealers which are on main avenues such as Zamzama in Karachi. If he didn't have a license on him, its good that they took him in to carry out the required due dilligence. While travelling in a convoy of about three of four cars in Karachi, we were stopped by Rangers who confiscated a weapon from us (it was licensed but we did not have the document on us, and the weapon was returned the next day when the license was presented). They did not lock us up because all other cars and weapons had correct licenses and documents. Let me also add from personal experience that you can't get out of trouble with the Rangers when they are on a mission, no matter who you are. I completely respect this institution and trust that they are not backed by a political agenda when they operate.
@peace: "there is NO evidence of any sort of violent activities of any Sindhi nationalist party" dont know which city YOU are talking about mate, certainly not Karachi! I myself have witnessed people paying 'parchi' (extortion money) to JSQM members and do personally know atleast one guy who was murdered after refusing to pay. Go and ask people living near safoora goth (near Gulistan-e-Jouhar) and they will tell how peaceful JSQM really is! and to be frank I find you dubbing JSQM (an ultra nationalist ethnically motivated party) as progressive nationalist force quite hilarious
No one is saint around here! MQM ANP PPP JSQM JI all collectively responsible for the mess we are in at the moment!
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui:
Dear Brother, you sound like Judge and jury on your own.Let's make the facts straight 1) The case HAS not been proved yet that Mr.Qureshi was taking any illegal arms (2) There is NO FIR registered against JSQM leader for violence and crime (3) During current SC suo moto case on Karachi,there is NO evidence of any sort of violent activitiest of any Sindhi nationalist party in Karachi (4)JSQM and other nationalist parties went to courts to expose militant wings of big parties (5) JSQM's strike has not created any law & order situation by killing any innocent people unlike Karachi's big party which can call on strike on any day with full show of violence.
So kindly take away your narrow vision based on prejudice against liberal and progressive nationalist forces.Justice should be done but pushing liberal and progressive nationalist forces will achieve nothing but only bad name for country and state.
Bashir Qureshi’s case was not politically motivated.
The Rangers operation is going on in several parts of the city without any political discrimination and at the time when Rangers stopped Bashir Qureshi and his guards, none of them could prove that the arms and ammunition were licensed.
The dilemma in Pakistan is that the ‘big fishes’ want to be above the law whereas no one is above the law in the country.
The down strike in the interior of Sindh was nothing more than nonsense. Any law abiding citizen will not stand at the back of Bashir Qureshi unless Bashir Qureshi himself will respect the law.
This case needs to be taken to its conclusion in a transparent and speedy manner, failing which there shall be a bigger fiasco. Our courts, our police, our rangers and the system has been put to TEST. I know the result. FAILURE AS IN PAST.
@shadi: All AK-47's are sub machine guns. Nearly every criminal has an AK-47. However, it is almost impossible for ordinary citizens to get a licence for an AK-47.
Government and security agencies have proved to be utter failure to control burgeoning violence and crime in Karachi.They were simply unable to handle culprits but they showed great speed to launch attack against liberal,secular and progressive nationalist forces.A leader having licensed arms is arrested and those who are sitting over the heaps of arms and ammunition go scot free.What a justice!!
The incompetence of PPP Govt and their allies (MQM+ANP) to help rain + flood affectees in southern Sindh has shattered their people friendly image,while their failure to curb violence and terror in Karachi brings question marks on their intentions for well being and protection of the people.
Govt needs to revisit their policies,instead of luring their allies and sticking to rotten way of governance,they need to change and improve.They should put hands in real terrorists and their nerve centers instead of attacking peaceful and progressive nationalist forces. The (mis)use of security forces against liberal and secular nationalist elements will only add to injuries to the people of Sindh.Every peace loving Pakistani should condemn such insane acts of Govt.
He had licenced arms, then why caught?