Rangers presented 'drivers, cooks' as wanted criminal: MQM

The operation was a violation of human rights and was unconstitutional and illegal, says Rizvi

KARACHI: Two days after the Rangers arrested scores of people during a raid on Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) headquarter Nine-Zero, the party claimed that commoners were portrayed as dangerous and wanted criminals.

Addressing a press conference late on Friday, MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi termed the operation as illegal and a blatant violation of human rights.

"Drivers, cooks, local residents and members of different departments of our party were arrested during the operation. The operation was a violation of human rights and was unconstitutional and illegal," said Rizvi.

 

Read: Explainer: Why the MQM raid was conducted today and what it means for Karachi's security

 

He questioned if the raid was conducted based on intelligence, then why was the house of MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s sister raided twice.

The MQM leader further argued that all weapons seized during the raid were licensed arms. Refuting Rangers' claim that they were the weapons which had allegedly gone missing from Nato containers, he said that "US has denied that Nato weapons were stolen but we are still being blamed for it."

Dispelling the impression that the Nine-Zero was never a ‘no-go-area’, Rizvi said that any security measures taken at the party headquarters were based on warnings issued by security agencies who said that the office was on terrorists hit list - evidenced by bomb attacks on an MQM rally in the same area in the run up to the May 2013 general elections.

“Nine-Zero is not a no-go-area, it has just been secured just like Parliament. Can someone tell me how many people can access Parliament?,” he asked.

 

Read: In court: MQM workers to be detained for 90 days

 

Condemning the way MQM workers and Rabita Committee member Amir Khan were presented in the court blindfolded, Rizvi said that not even Taliban terrorists were presented this way.