BADIN: Former home minister Dr Zulfikar Ali Mirza has said that during his tenure he himself wanted to carry out a raid on the MQM headquarters similar to the one conducted on Wednesday but his friend [PPP co-chairman] Asif Ali Zardari always restrained him from taking any such step.

Speaking by phone from London to journalists and his supporters present in the local press club on Wednesday, he expressed his pleasure over the Rangers’ raid and arrest of some wanted criminals and termed the action ‘a bold step’.

Know more: Rangers raid MQM HQ in Karachi, detain member of Rabita Committee

He said he would offer assistance to the law enforcement agencies by sharing his knowledge about criminals and their activities.

He advised Mr Zardari to go with the sane and patriot people of the country instead of selling out Sindh to [MQM chief] Altaf Hussain and [Bahria Town chief] Malik Riaz in league with people like Rehman Malik.

Referring to the raid on the Nine Zero, Dr Mirza said it seemed that his dream of Sindh getting rid of terrorism was coming true. He hoped that the criminals being arrested by the Rangers would be brought to justice.

Dr Mirza condemned the alleged arrest of his supporters in Badin police in recent days “at the behest of his rivals within the PPP and said he would soon rejoin his supporters to resume his struggle against corrupt and inept administration”.

Allah Bachayo Memon, a close aide to Dr Mirza, was detained in a raid on his house on Tuesday night but had to be let off as scores of people, including traders, held a demonstration outside the Model police station demanding his release.

Pro-Mirza activists of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said Mr Memon was among several of their like-minded party workers picked up during raids on their houses in Badin during the night.

They said they, along with local traders and supporters, strongly protested against their detention without any charges. They said Taj Mohammad Mallah, Tanweer Ahmed Arain, Tarique Ahmed Memon and others held talks with SHO Wali Mohammad Chang, who freed Mr Memon after keeping him in detention for two hours.

Meanwhile, a trader, Haji Khan Lashari, who was detained at the Talhar police station three days ago, was released on Wednesday. He told a press conference that he was detained a the behest of Dr Mirza’s arch rival in the district, MNA Sardar Kamal Chang and Talhar MPA Allah Bukhsh Talpur.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2015

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