Amid tight security: MQM sector incharge presented in court nine days after arrest

The Rangers claim they have 'credible information' about his involvement in a number of criminal activities

KARACHI: The Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, informed an anti-terrorism court on Monday about the 90-day preventive detention of a sector incharge of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), nine days after his arrest.

The Rangers officers, escorted by their legal team, presented Ruknuddin, the incharge of the MQM's Landhi sector before the ATC-I judge in his chamber. The suspect was handcuffed and blindfolded when, he was brought to the court amid tight security in a paramilitary jeep.

According to sources, the officers told the court that they had 'credible information' against the suspect regarding his involvement in target killing, extortion, kidnapping and other acts of terrorism in the city.

The detention order of the suspect, issued by a sector commander of the paramilitary force submitted to the court, read that it was in the public's interest that an inquiry be conducted against the suspect and that he be questioned for a period of three months. A jail warrant for the suspect was also submitted to the court.

Following the enactment of the Pakistan Protection Act in July 2014, the armed forces and civil armed forces of the country were empowered to keep any person whom they suspect to be involved in terrorist activists detained for a period of ninety days. For this purpose, the Anti-Terrorism Act was also amended to include Section 11EEEE, which deals with the detention and investigation.

The sector incharge was reportedly taken into custody on July 4 from the Malir area when he was returning home after having Iftar at his brother's residence. However, his whereabouts remained unknown until Monday.

Advocate Latif Pasha, a member of the MQM's legal aid committee, told The Express Tribune that the paramilitary force illegally kept the suspect in custody for nine days, when they were bound to present him before the court within 24 hours.

"Ruknuddin's arrest and his long detention is in violation of the fundamental rights that every citizen of the country is entitled to under Section 10 of the Constitution," said Pasha.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2015.