Pakistan

Rangers reject MQM claim of workers’ extrajudicial killing

Rangers spokesperson says MQM’s propaganda regarding extrajudicial killing is misleading

Our Correspondent September 11, 2015

PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: Four activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were killed in an encounter near Northern Bypass on Thursday night, said the Rangers in a statement issued on Friday.

This is the first time since the Karachi operation began two years ago that the paramilitary force has admitted to killing political activists in an encounter. Rangers officials said that the suspects killed were involved in the targeted killing of their own party's legal aid committee member in broad daylight.

The Rangers' spokesperson claimed that the encounter took place when their troops conducted an operation over the presence of criminals involved in the targeted killing of advocate Syed Ali Hasnain Shah Bukhari, who was gunned down in Korangi on March 4. One of the cases Bukhari had been working on before his death was a missing persons' case on behalf of the MQM.

"The criminals resorted to indiscriminate firing at the Rangers troops," claimed the spokesperson, as he spoke about Thursday's encounter. Rangers men retaliated, killing four criminals after an exchange of fire, he said.

Their bodies were shifted to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth where their families identified them on Friday. The suspects were later identified as Shahid Ghulam, Zohaibullah and Muhammad Adeel. The fourth suspect's body remained at the morgue as it has yet to be identified. Sources have identified him as Kashif Khalil, an MQM worker, but this has yet to be confirmed officially.

A statement issued by the Rangers revealed that, in addition to the killing of Bukhari, the suspects were involved in numerous cases of target killings and the attack on a bus carrying police commandos in Chakra Goth.

Later, the MQM held a press conference in which it announced that the suspects belonged to the party and they were killed in an 'extrajudicial' manner. However, Rangers officials termed the claims 'baseless propaganda' and labelled the party's allegations an attempt to mislead everyone.

"These four criminals had been hiding in safe houses at the behest of the MQM's high command," the Rangers' spokesperson clarified. "They were involved in the targeted killing of advocate Hasnain Bukhari."

Following the deaths, the MQM announced a day of mourning across the country, urging traders to shut their businesses and transporters to remain off the roads.

"The claim by the Rangers that the men were killed in an encounter is false," said Dr Farooq Sattar. The Rangers had first claimed that the men belonged to a banned outfit and later made them target killers, which exposes the law enforcement agency's brutalities, he said. He added that the workers killed were arrested by the Rangers months ago and petitions against their arrests were filed in the Sindh High Court soon after their disappearance. Adeel and Shahid Ghulam were arrested on April 1 and Adeel's petition was filed on April 2, Zohaibullah was arrested in May and a petition was filed against his arrest on May 25.

COMMENTS (17)

S.R.H. Hashmi | 9 years ago | Reply MQM has called for a peaceful day of mourning on the 12th of September to protest against the latest alleged extra-judicial killing of its workers who, according to the party, had been arrested months ago. MQM also insists that in the past two years, 45 party workers were murdered extra judicially while 165 were missing. And as was to be expected, the Rangers have stated that the persons killed were target killers, and have declared the MQM’s statement as not only misleading but also in contrast to reality. I remember earlier on, the Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan – who does not seem to be much good at anything except at making strong statements devoid of substance - had declared the MQM’s claim of extra-judicial killing and forced disappearance of its workers as false and misleading. However, it would be reasonable to assume that in our country where torture is the preferred – and perhaps the only – means of interrogation and investigation, some deaths are bound to occur during custody, more so when the custody remains undeclared, and in violation of rules and regulations. Also, since dead men can’t talk, extra-judicial killing might be a useful tool to prevent stories of illegal, undeclared arrests and extreme torture from coming to public knowledge first-hand Just yesterday’s newspapers carried a report about the release - after remaining in Rangers custody for at least 49 days – of the MQM’s ailing Rabita Committee member Qamar Mansoor. And the reason given for his release by the Rangers was that no clues were found against him for his involvement in terror acts during the course of their investigations. And the fact that while requesting 90-day remand of Qamar Mansoor , the Rangers had stated before the court that they had credible evidence of his involvement in target killings, extortion, kidnapping and other acts of terrorism. Obviously, both of the Rangers’ statement can’t be true and things like this do not do much to establish their credibility. This is the third operation against MQM and the authorities seem to be bent upon making it ‘third time lucky’, and appear to be trying all means at their disposal and, as claimed by MQM, it addition to what gets reported in the press, some undeclared restrictions have also been placed on the party in order to squeeze or preferably wipe it out from Karachi and make space for some other parties like PTI and MQM (Haqiqi). This view gets strengthened because while Rangers had declared their intention to target unit and sector incharges of MQM just for holding the offices, and without any allegation of being involved in crimes, MQM (Haqiqi) is reported to be opening new sector and unit offices in some localities of Karachi. Also, during Islamabad sit-ins, some Generals were rumoured to be favouring Imran Khan but were ruled out by General Raheel Sharif, Perhaps that sympathy is still there in some sections and few Generals seem to be trying to impose PTI on Karachi, if not so much for the love of PTI, than at least for their bitter opposition and contempt for MQM, which perhaps goes back decades. In the past, some General who were high on ambitions and low on intellect have done incalculable harm to Pakistan and bear responsibility even for the dismemberment of the country. Another General, in order to prolong his rule and to consolidate his grip on power, needlessly involved Pakistan in US revenge war with Russians to avenge humiliation in Vietnam, and to fight which he created monsters that are catching us by the throat, and which armed forces are successfully fighting now. If the law enforcers really want to eliminate or at least substantially reduce crime and corruption in the country, they will have the full backing of the nation, but this has to be done in accordance with the law and in a just and equitable manner all over the country. This concentration purely on Sindh and even in Sindh, mainly on MQM, while letting off the hook others in Sindh and elsewhere in the country somehow tends to create an impression that first Bengalese were hounded and now it is the turn of MQM which represents mostly Urdu-speaking people though it also has others in considerable numbers within its fold. Karachi

Bakhtawar | 9 years ago | Reply We solute and pay thanks to ranger for restoring peace in Karachi. In our judiciary system exist lot of flaws hence not able to convict the target killers. Zero tolerance should be for innocent people killers

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Zia Khan | 9 years ago | Reply MQM is a terrorist organization. There is no doubt about that. Even the supporters of MQM know this in their hearts. Rangers are right in cleansing Karachi. We are with you Rangers!! Keep Up the good work.

karachitte | 9 years ago | Reply Wonder why suspects in this country die all to regularly in 'encounters'.

Hassan | 9 years ago | Reply That's really unfair, stop killing of #MQM Workers in Fake Encounters #Karachi stand with #AltafHussain. It's funny, that MQM workers killed their member of Legal aid comments, although Rangers spokesperson accepted MQM lawyer killed by #TTP terrorist

Napier Mole | 9 years ago | Reply Rangers could have earned some brownie points had they responded to the list of the missing persons given by mqm and stated the fate of the 40 or so persons which mqm said were removed by security agencies from their houses. The arrogance and haughtiness being displayed by the security forces in this respect is dangerous. If extra judicial killings start to be justified so casually then one is afraid there is no case to pursue against the target killers: jungle law will prevail.

Karachi Zindabad | 9 years ago | Reply Why Military rule in Karachi? Why no action against ANP, PML(F), JI, PPI, ST, PPP who have been engaged in looting and killings? Selective Justice is Bigger Injustice

Rangers Zindabad | 9 years ago | Reply Please keep removing these criminal from Karachi.... Pak Army Zindabad..

Faheem | 9 years ago | Reply This is not the way state institutions should work. It is the responsibility of the federal government not to allow the security agencies to act arbitrarily without following the law of the land. It seems that the government is helpless and does not enjoy control over the working of the security agencies.

Faheem | 9 years ago | Reply MQM workers were arrested during the operation and later they were extra-judicially murdered and disappeared. MQM has raised a point that reasons must be presented before arresting anyone because the party believed that its workers were being held illegally. Rangers needs to come clean regarding the accusations of the MQM. Rangers should prove in court that there is no extrajudicial killing and a nondiscriminatory action is being taken.

Foto | 9 years ago | Reply Remove all MQM officials and supporters. Rangers we are with you. Only Pakistani people should be allowed in Pakistan.

Truth | 9 years ago | Reply What such action prove is that in Pakistan power flows through the barrels of a gun,not through moral or state authority..This is nothing but ethnic cleansing..even death in Karachi give confessional statement

Patriot | 9 years ago | Reply Who really cares. Target killers are being targeted now. Law and order has to be restored one way or the other. The judiciary will never convict them, the police will never put hands on them. Rangers are our only hope.

Guest | 9 years ago | Reply Keeping in view the news of "missing persons", "extrajudicial killings" in the name of encounters, and on top of all that news like, "ISLAMABAD- Pakistan Navy has launched an internal probe under the direct supervision of one of its top bosses into the reported involvement of Navy personnel in the kidnappings for ransom and extortion activities in Pakistan's largest cosmopolitan city Karachi.", all appearing within Pakistani press, and NOT Indian or Israeli press, one really wonders what to believe and what not from that coming out of the Land of the Pure. The word kidnappings above has been highlighted to emphasize its plurality, so that it can not be brushed aside as a one of incident. One also wonders that whether the other brothers in arms are not partners in such activities. One also wonders that what percentage of the the claimed calm and peace in Karachi is due to an intermission in activities of these actors, to prove their performance. All one can do is pray, pray, and pray.

Imran Qadri | 9 years ago | Reply Were terrorist and mafia that was holding karachi hostage before operation when in an average month 300 to 500 people were being killed,were they doing the killing "judicially"? Extra judicial target killers deserve such a fate. They(target killers) never showed any remorse for all the murders and crimes they committed against innocent Karachiites so why should law enforcement agency show them any leniency ? Karachi is with Rangers and thanks them for restoring peace in Karachi.

Asif Maalik | 9 years ago | Reply Rangers press release attached in this post shows itself that the force is accepting the extrajudicial killing of the MQM workers in other words. Irrespective of the Rangers’ claim that deceased were target killers which law gives them right of killing suspects. Unfortunately Rangers have become a clear enemy of MQM so the operation has become a biased action and controvert.

JNH | 9 years ago | Reply Don't worry about them Rangers, we are with you. You don't owe anyone clarification.

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