Karachi operation will continue till last target killer arrested, says Rangers

MQM leaders say targeting the party has only strengthened its vote bank

KARACHI: Rangers have refuted media reports about slowing down their operation against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) amid an alleged understanding.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the Rangers' spokesperson said that the operation was still ongoing and will continue till the last target killer has been arrested. It requested citizens to keep an eye on their surroundings and in case of emergencies, contact them through the Rangers helpline. Rangers and the people of Karachi are together, read the statement.



However, an MQM official told The Express Tribune that an understanding had been reached in the recent meeting between the Rangers DG with party lawmakers, Dr Farooq Sattar and Kunwar Naveed. "We have reached an understanding with the Rangers. Hopefully, the law enforcement agencies will let us run our local government election campaign and not disrupt them."

MQM MNA Sattar said, however, that he wouldn't call it a deal. "We didn't offer them anything in return for something." According to Sattar, the Rangers director-general invited them to discuss the security for the local government elections. The Rangers officials refused to share details of the meeting.

Following the meeting with the Rangers director-general, the MQM reopened its sectors and units offices in the city and is now actively campaigning for the local bodies scheduled for December 5.



Since the start of the operation, the Rangers have arrested 5,000 workers during raids at party headquarters and offices. However, another party leader said that pinning the blame on the MQM for every crime, while banned and religious militants had claimed responsibility for it, had put the LEAs in a tight spot.

"The Rangers had picked up a lot of people, yet there was no conviction. Their idea of portraying the party as a terror group has backfired. It has only strengthened the vote bank of MQM."

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2015.