Karachi operation: First phase completed, says Nisar
1,586 people have been arrested in the raid: Nisar
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the Senate that the first phase of the Karachi operation was complete, Express News reported on Thursday.
He said that 1,586 people were arrested in the city and he had been monitoring the operation on a day-to-day basis. The Karachi operation began on September 7.
Nisar added that in the next phase of the operation no area in Karachi would be classified as a 'no go' area.
He said that many suspects had claimed to belong to political parties to evade arrest, but the parties had not confirmed their affiliation with them. There were also instances when suspects belonging to political parties were arrested.
One high profile case from the operation was the arrest of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader and former MPA Nadeem Hashmi. Hashmi was arrested in September during a raid at his residence. He was released later that month.
An alleged target killer affiliated with the Lyari gang war, Mansoor Baloch alias Bublee, was also arrested during a raid by Rangers on Nishtar Road. Many other gang members from Lyari were rounded up by Rangers as well.
In his address to the Senate, Nisar also announced plans to visit Karachi in the next few days.
'Sham' Operation
The operation has not been without its critics though, with the MQM in particular accusing it of being 'politically-motivated.' Earlier in October, MQM's Farooq Sattar termed the security operations in Karachi a sham and urged that an independent committee be formed to monitor and oversee the cleanup of the megalopolis.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that 9,119 people had been arrested. The error is regretted.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the Senate that the first phase of the Karachi operation was complete, Express News reported on Thursday.
He said that 1,586 people were arrested in the city and he had been monitoring the operation on a day-to-day basis. The Karachi operation began on September 7.
Nisar added that in the next phase of the operation no area in Karachi would be classified as a 'no go' area.
He said that many suspects had claimed to belong to political parties to evade arrest, but the parties had not confirmed their affiliation with them. There were also instances when suspects belonging to political parties were arrested.
One high profile case from the operation was the arrest of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader and former MPA Nadeem Hashmi. Hashmi was arrested in September during a raid at his residence. He was released later that month.
An alleged target killer affiliated with the Lyari gang war, Mansoor Baloch alias Bublee, was also arrested during a raid by Rangers on Nishtar Road. Many other gang members from Lyari were rounded up by Rangers as well.
In his address to the Senate, Nisar also announced plans to visit Karachi in the next few days.
'Sham' Operation
The operation has not been without its critics though, with the MQM in particular accusing it of being 'politically-motivated.' Earlier in October, MQM's Farooq Sattar termed the security operations in Karachi a sham and urged that an independent committee be formed to monitor and oversee the cleanup of the megalopolis.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that 9,119 people had been arrested. The error is regretted.