MQM’s reaction: Altaf calls raid ‘naked aggression’

KARACHI:

Calling the latest raid on the MQM headquarters an ‘act of naked barbarism and a wilful violation of human rights”, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain claimed on Friday that the action stemmed from the Sindh Rangers’ rage over the party’s initiative to collect funds for the poor.

Two party leaders, Kaiful Warah and Qamar Mansoor,

were arrested in the wake of the raid.

Addressing his workers after the crackdown, Altaf said the paramilitary force was dividing the country instead of bringing it together. “The Rangers had decided that they would not let the MQM’s charity wing, Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation, collect Zakat and Fitrana.

“Despite all hurdles, we had carried out an annual event for the poor. This angered the Rangers and at night, they carried out a raid at Nine Zero and arrested our leaders,” he added.

Altaf said his party would not beg anyone for the release of its men and would face the ‘false cases’ legally, file petitions in the court against the arrests and also take up this case to the United Nations.

He also asked his workers to brace themselves for more raids. At the same time, he also asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take notice of the crackdown and “put an end to all brutalities” by releasing all those who have been arrested.

“Policymakers should sit together and remove the concerns of 50 million Mohajirs, who have been deeply hurt by the actions,” he said.

Altaf also lashed out at Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and said they had pledged allegiance to the establishment and had registered cases against him all over Sindh, including the PPP’s political bastion, Larkana.

“Shah and Zardari have given the licence to Rangers to sow the seed of division of Sindh,” Altaf said.


Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2015.