Investigations continue: Remand of 9 MQM workers extended

The suspects were arrested by the Rangers from the party’s headquarters

KARACHI: At least two of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers, arrested during a pre-dawn raid at the party’s headquarters two weeks ago, have been found to be involved in several cases of target killings and possession of explosives, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) was informed by the law enforcement personnel on Thursday.

Nine suspects, including the condemned Faisal Mehmood alias Mota, were brought to the court in armoured personnel vehicles escorted by heavily armed guards of the police and Rangers. The law enforcers concealed the suspects’ identities with pieces of cloth and had blindfolded them for the court appearance. This group, however, looked tidier as they wore fresh clothes and had probably been given the opportunity to shower.

The hearing of the cases took place inside the chamber of the ATC-II link judge, Anand Ram Sairani, where the suspects were presented one after another. The prosecution, besides seeking an extension in the remand of the suspects, also presented some of their criminal records.

Abdul Qadir alias Hangoro and Ubaid alias K2, who has at least three cases registered against him since the raid, were implicated in others too. The investigators submitted that the suspects, during initial interrogation, had confessed their involvement in the following cases: Qadir had murdered two workers of a rival political outfit as well as a police official in Kalri during 2012 and 2013, while Ubaid had hidden some explosive materials, which now had been discovered from Gulberg.

They were remanded in the said cases till April 8. The others, Mehmood, Amir Ali alias Teeli, Imtiaz Hussain, Shabbir Ahmed alias Farhan Mullah, Nadir Shah, Kazim Raza and Nadim Ahmed, were simply given a 14-day extension in their previous remands in cases of possessing illicit weapons and explosives.

A hue and cry was witnessed outside the ATC as some women from the suspects’ families had managed to gather there, breaching the strict curfew imposed by the law enforcers. The wife of Shabbir alias Farhan Mullah, a former sector in-charge of the MQM, burst into tears as she saw her handcuffed husband and tried to get closer to him. The law enforcers hurriedly put him inside the APC. Soon after, the security staff and suspects’ counsels, who were members of the MQM legal aid committee, escorted the families out of the court premises.

Speaking to the media, Muhammad Jiwani Advocate, a defence counsel, claimed that the judge had verbally ordered the IOs to let the suspects meet their families for a while. That is why, he said, the families were there.

At least 96 MQM workers are in custody of the law enforcement agencies since March 11. Of these, 60, including senior leader, Amir Khan, have been detained by the Pakistan Rangers for 90 days. The rest are in police custody.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2015.