Violent crimes: ‘Illegal activities against MQM are continuing’

All MQM sector and unit offices closed until further notice

KARACHI:

A day after its MNA Rashid Godil was critically injured in a firing incident, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lamented that instead of arresting terrorists, LEAs have been arresting their innocent workers.

At a press conference at the Khursheed Begum Secretariat on Wednesday, Rabita committee member Muhammad Hussain said, "Under the garb of the Karachi operation, the raids and arrests were continued. Despite the fact that we have resigned from the assemblies and are no more, these illegal activities against us are continuing."

Five workers were arrested from different parts of Korangi, Orangi, Ranchore Line and Jackson, while another was arrested from Sukkur on Tuesday.

The MQM leader said that for the past two years, criminals from banned outfits were targeting their workers in Orangi. "We have informed the authorities several times about how militants are killing our men in Orangi but no action has been taken against them," said Hussain.



Hussain narrated an incident where their worker Abdul Raheem was killed in Orangi on Tuesday. The party says that Raheem had brought the families of their missing workers to Nine Zero to meet Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazulur Rehman, after which he went home and was leaving for the office when he was targeted. The injured Raheem was being loaded into an ambulance to go to the hospital, but was killed by the criminals.

"When firing happened, the LEAs should have immediately come to the spot but no one came. A state operation is being carried against us," said Hussain, adding that their political activities had come to a standstill.

He alleged that with official support, terrorists from MQM-Haqiqi were forming pickets in Malir, Lines Area, Landhi and Shah Faisal. "Terrorists are targeting MQM workers and killing them. No operation is being carried out against them," he claimed.

He said that the party's reservations over the operation continue and that political vengeance was being taken against them.

The MQM has shut down all its sector and unit offices in the city for an unspecified period of time. According to a party leader, the decision was taken to shut down its sectors and units in the wake of security threats.

As part of the MQM's organisational structure, there are more than 200 units and 26 sector offices in the city.

The attacks on the MQM offices before the general elections in 2013 and raids as part of the ongoing targeted operation had led to the closure of many sectors and units. However, after August 14, all of them had been instructed to shut down.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2015.