Rangers briefly detain MQM leader Farooq Sattar

Sattar was heading to his car after an MQM protest had ended at KPC, but they released him after searching his car

KARACHI: Rangers briefly detained on Tuesday Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Farooq Sattar after he ended a protest against Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar at Karachi Press Club.

As per initial reports, Sattar was heading to his car after a protest staged by the MQM had ended when Rangers personnel took him along with his car to an undisclosed location.

However, soon after, the Rangers released him after searching his car.

While #AyanAli has been released, #Rangers have twice stopped #MQM leader/MNA Dr Farooq Sattar's vehicle today and "questioned" him.

— Dr. Nadeem Nusrat (@nadeem_nusrat) July 14, 2015

Altaf's speech was misinterpreted

Earlier, while addressing protesters outside the Karachi Press Club, Sattar refuted claims made by Nisar that MQM was an anti-state party, adding that Altaf’s recent speech was in favor of army, not against it.

“We have always been with the army, we are only requesting that the brutalities and injustices against us should end,” he said.

He alleged that the statements by the interior minister were meant to create rifts between the party chief and workers.

“Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's statements are meant to create rifts between the party chief and our workers,” Sattar said.

Crticising the stance taken by the interior minister, Sattar remarked that Nisar and Asif had earned themselves the title of “enemy of Mohajirs.”

The MQM leader added that his party supported the on-going security operations in the city, but only if they were being conducted in an unbiased manner and not against one political party.

“So far, 200 workers have been killed in targeted killings, 40 became victims of extra judicial killings, 150 people are either in police or Rangers custody and around 20 people have gone missing,” Sattar said, while also adding that not a single worker was shown on the TV or news.

“Declare us terrorists by the Supreme Court or ban us, but without proof don't judge our patriotism and don't carry out our media trial,” he ended with aggression in his voice.