Operation setbacks: Altaf complains to Corps Commander about party workers’ arrests

The MQM chief also criticised the attitude of the Rangers in his letter to the army general .

KARACHI:

The chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain, wrote a letter to the Karachi Corps Commander asking him to take urgent notice of the arrest of party workers early Saturday morning.

The letter came merely hours after the Karachi Corps Commander, Lt General Sajjad Ghani, announced, in a phone conversation with Hussain, the formation of a committee to address the MQM’s complaints about the targeted operation in the city.

In the letter that was also shared with the media, Hussain gave out details of the arrest of its worker, Haider Baig, a unit in-charge in New Karachi by the Rangers. Altaf not only complained to the army general about the attitude of the Rangers officials but also requested he take immediate notice of the issue.

Baig was picked up from his house in New Karachi at 3am allegedly by high-ranking officials of the Rangers, the letter stated. The officials came to his house in five vans and five motorcycles, searched Baig’s house and then took him away along with his motorcycle, it added.

After the incident, two party parliamentarians, Khawaja Izharul Hassan and Abdul Waseem went to the Rangers office situated in the area. They tried to contact to the wing in-charge, sent him text messages and tried to call him but he failed to respond. The parliamentarians also tried to contact the sector commander but there was no response from him as well, claimed Hussain.

Five arrests in 48 hours

Meanwhile, the MQM has slammed the arrests and raids being carried out by the Rangers. In the last 48 hours, five activists have been arrested while raids have been carried at the houses of three workers, said party officials, adding that the workers’ families were harassed and their belongings were taken away.

Out of the five workers arrested by the law enforcers, three belong to the Lyari sector while one each is from Ranchore Line and Baldia.

According to party leader Aminul Haque, more than two dozen workers of the MQM, who were picked up during the targeted operation since it kicked off last September, are still missing.

“Most of these men, who were recently picked up, were those who were preparing for Sehri at their homes,” he said. “All of them are innocent but if anyone is found guilty of any crimes, he should be presented in the courts.”

The party has raised the issues of the missing activists and the formation of a monitoring committee to oversee the targeted operation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the meeting on Thursday, said MQM’s Dr Farooq Sattar. “His response was general, more than specific,” said Dr Sattar, adding that the victimisation of the MQM in the ongoing operation could not be specifically talked about in the meeting.

Committee members

Meanwhile, the MQM has yet to give the names of three of its leaders, who will be included in the six-member committee that the Karachi Corps Commander had promised during his phone conversation with Hussain on Friday night. The other three members will belong to the law enforcers taking part in the operation. Party sources say that leader, Kunwar Naveed, has been selected as one of the members of the committee.

Following the phone conversation with the Corps Commanders, the MQM chief postponed his plan to write letter to the Chief of Army Staff Raheel Sharif.

The Express Tribune tried to contact the Rangers spokesperson for their version but he failed to respond, even though he assured earlier of emailing or texting a reply.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2014.