Ruffled feathers: MQM accuses law enforcers of 'disrupting' their local bodies' campaign

Claims that raids are being conducted at party offices to delay submission of nomination papers.

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has claimed that the Rangers are raiding its offices and harassing its workers in a bid to disrupt the process of filing nominations papers for the local body's election.

Three raids have been conducted since Thursday, said a MQM leader and parliamentarian who did not want to be named. According to the official, the Rangers had picked up six men from Liaquatabad unit, which included former councillors as well as new candidates. The men have not been released so far.

The party has claimed that the Rangers have also conducted raids at Burnes Road Unit 35 and picked up two men, who were both released later. They also raided the Nazimabad sector office when people were filling out nomination forms, they alleged. The party, however, will wait till all the nomination forms are submitted before protesting against the raids.

Another MQM leader, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, said that the party had concerns over the law enforcers' visits to their party offices. "We will not let the operation be diverted. The Rangers should not be politically motivated and should stay free of any politicisation."

Earlier, the party's deputy convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the raids and the arrests were hampering the work being done related to the local body's election. He said that before the general elections, it was the terrorists who were targeting their offices by carrying out bomb blasts, and now it was the law enforcers who were making things difficult for them.

Meanwhile, the Rangers spokesperson said that the targeted operation was against criminals and was not directed towards any political party. "Wherever criminals are, the Rangers will arrest them."

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2013.