KARACHI: The Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, on Thursday claimed to have arrested a suspect in Shahdadpur who was allegedly involved in the killing of Muttahida Qaumi Movement activist Waqas Shah during the paramilitary force’s raid on the party’s headquarters Nine Zero on March 11.

“Rangers on secret information detained Asif Ali in Shahdadpur who was involved in the killing of MQM worker Waqas Shah, during resistance and violence following the Nine-Zero operation,” said the paramilitary force spokesperson.

According to the Rangers’ statement, the held suspect saw the footage of the force’s raid on Nine-Zero on March 11 and rushed to the spot armed with a pistol along with his wife where he allegedly tried to provoke the force personnel by raising slogans against them. In the meantime, Asif shot and killed Waqas, who was standing behind him, claimed the Rangers official.

The suspect and his accomplices under a plan called media persons immediately near the body of Waqas and raised a hue and cry that he had been gunned down by Rangers personnel.

“The purpose behind that move appeared to defame the Rangers’ operation,” said the force official.

During a preliminary investigation, the held suspect has reportedly revealed that following the incident he had thrown the pistol into a storm drain in Yasinabad.

Asif reportedly told the Rangers that on the same day at 5pm, he saw his footage on a TV channel, in which he was shown as taking out a pistol from his pocket and immediately he contacted MQM coordination committee members Farooq Sattar and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and informed them about the TV channel’s report.

The MQM leaders directed him to reach Nine-Zero and they promised that they would hold a press conference in his defence. But no member of the MQM’s coordination committee met him nor did anyone hold a press conference, making the suspect disheartened. He returned home, where he started sporting a beard to avoid arrest.

Later on, he went to the interior of Sindh, where Rangers arrested him after an operation.

“The held suspect is a worker of a political party and had remained unit in-charge of Gulistan-i-Jauhar Unit F,” said the Rangers statement in an oblique reference to his association with the MQM.

The suspect has also remained involved in extorting money from residents in the name of installing barriers. Besides, he also used to get extortion from different markets and shops on a regular basis.

The held suspect was also shot at and wounded during a clash with workers of the Awami National Party over extortion in 2012.

The suspect was also a member of an election cell during the general election in 2013 in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, where he allegedly helped poll rigged in his party’s favour. He has also confessed to having forcibly collected hides and Fitra.

Published in Dawn June 26th, 2015

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