KARACHI, Dec 14: The police on Saturday night arrested Younus Khan, the MPA from the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, at the main entrance of the Sindh Assembly building. The arrest followed a siege of the building that lasted for more than five hours.

The police blocked the road in front of the assembly building at both ends by erecting barricades and parking mobile vans to stop the bus which, police suspected, carried Mr Khan.

The parliamentary leader of the PPP, Nisar Khuhro, brought the siege to the notice of the newly-elected Speaker, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, who on the floor of the House had stated that he had not received any request from the police to enter the assembly premises. The speaker had even said that the police should be punished for the act.

Mr Khuhro said that when the assembly was in session the police cannot enter the premises without the Speaker’s permission.

The police had tightened security outside the assembly building since 6pm. The rangers, too, were called after two hours of siege.

The DIG of Karachi, Tariq Jamil, said: “Younus Khan was wanted in criminal cases, therefore, we arrested him”.

Other police officials said that following the orders to arrest Mr Khan, who was elected from a Landhi constituency, the main entrance of the assembly was closed and all vehicles coming out of the premises, were searched.

The drama began when some MPAs came out of the assembly building and got into the bus parked on the premises. A man, covering himself with a shawl, was among the MPAs.

Suspecting Mr Khan’s presence in the bus, the police climbed up the vehicle. Town Police Officer Tariq Khokhar, who also got into the bus, asked the MPAs for a search. Protesting the TPO’s orders, the MPAs asked why they were being treated like robbers.

Some other MPAs, who were in their cars, came out of the assembly building at about 9:15pm. Their vehicles as well as the Speaker’s car were searched for Mr Khan. However, the bus did not come out of the assembly premises.

Ignoring the MPA’s protest, the police carried out a search of the bus. The MPAs belonging to the PPP and the MMA raised slogans “shame on police”.

The police were continuing the siege when at about 10:45pm, Mr Khan alighted the bus and tried to run away. There was a panic when police officials caught Mr Khan.

Some PPP MPAs resisted the arrest, but they were also whisked away by the police with Mr Khan.

The police later released them but took Mr Khan away to some undisclosed destination.