KARACHI: Police try to enforce writ in areas held by Haqiqi
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Nov 17: The deployment of police and paramilitary forces in Landhi and Korangi, which began late Saturday night, was reinforced on Sunday and the joint patrolling was increased, which heightened tension in the areas.
Police raided several places in the city including Landhi, Korangi, New Karachi, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Orangi Town, and Liaquatabad, and arrested a number of Mohajir Qaumi Movement activists.
Police also picked up Badar Iqbal, a former Mohajir Qaumi Movement leader who now belongs to the PML(Q). He was taken to the Preedy police station. Police said Badar Iqbal was taken from Memon Plaza, Magazine Lane, in the Preedy police limits.
A POLICE OFFICIAL SAID: “We have taken Badar Iqbal into protective custody, he is not under arrest.”
A spokesman for the Mohajir Qaumi Movement said: “Our 40-50 party members and workers have been picked up by police and rangers from different parts of the city. Mohammad Shehzad from Orangi Town and Mohammad Saleem from Liaquatabad, both in charge of their respective sectors, and Mohammad Ashraf and Abdur Rauf, members of sector committees, are among those arrested”.
He said police and rangers had surrounded “Baitul Hamza” — the headquarters of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement in Landhi — in the wee hours on Sunday, and the forces were present till late night. He said police had not yet prohibited the movement of the occupants of Baitul Hamza.
He said the operation against the Mohajir Qaumi Movement had been launched at the behest of the chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the state machinery was being used to arrest workers of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement.
However, a senior police official said: “We have not arrested activists of any political party, nor have we launched an operation.”
Police said they had no instructions to launch an operation against any political or ethnic party. A police official said: “We received instructions to deploy pickets at a number of places in Landhi and Korangi, and we followed them.”
A rangers spokesman said: “We are there (in Landhi) as police need backup.”
Rangers and police continued to patrol the roads and streets in Landhi, which caused tension in the area. The heavy deployment of police and rangers gave the impression that the operation had been launched against a party.
The Liaquatabad police said they had raided the MQM-H sector office and picked up Ayub alias Langra, Saleem alias Dacait, Saleem alias Inquilabi and Ashraf alias Mulla.
Police sources said many houses had been raided in Shah Faisal Colony to arrest some wanted criminals, irrespective of their political affiliations. However, they conceded that the criminals happened to be workers of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement.
