KARACHI: Police and Rangers claimed to have arrested more than 800 suspects, associated with various political and religious parties, for allegedly snatching animals’ hides and skins in the metropolis during the three days of Eidul Azha.

A Rangers spokesman said on Sunday that those arrested were associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Jamaat-i-Islami, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Jamaatud Dawa and other parties.

He said the Rangers took all necessary steps to ensure implementation of the code of conduct for collecting hides and took action against those who violated the code or tried to collect hides forcibly.

“At least 356 people were detained across the Sindh province, including Karachi, and 18,037 hides were seized,” said the spokesman.

He said that 288 of the held suspects were handed over to the police for necessary legal action while 32 others were released. Thirty-six suspects were under investigation as they were allegedly involved in other ‘heinous crimes’, he added.

He said that the held suspects belonged to different political and religious parties and community organisations such as the MQM, JI, ASWJ, JuD, Dawat-i-Islami, Sunni Tehreek and the Memon community.

“A detailed report to this effect would soon be sent to the federal and provincial governments,” he said.

The paramilitary force appreciated the people who contacted the Rangers’ helpline, 1101, and informed them about the elements involved in snatching hides.

Meanwhile, police also picked up hundreds of suspects for forcible collection of hides and skins and registered cases against them.

According to DIG-East Munir Ahmed Shaikh, police arrested 28 people in Korangi district and recovered 1,477 hides and lodged six FIRs against them.

No one was arrested in the East and Malir districts by the police, he added.

DIG-West Feroze Shah told Dawn that police detained around 500 suspects, seized over 900 hides and skins and registered 75 cases in the West and Central districts.

In one case, the DIG said, the police arrested 11 workers of a political party and seized 500 hides for allegedly violating the official code of conduct.

He added that the held suspects not only belonged to different political and religious parties, but also were associated with mosques.

Some of the held suspects were booked under the anti-terrorism law while FIRs against most of them were lodged under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code for violating Section 144 of the criminal procedure code.

All suspects in the Central and West districts were booked for violation of Section 144, said DIG Shah.

However, DIG Shaikh said that some of the held suspects in Korangi district were booked under the antiterrorism law since they were snatching hides at gunpoint.

Meanwhile, no untoward incident was reported from South district and no one was arrested there, said DIG Dr Jamil Ahmed.

Published in Dawn, September 28th , 2015

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