KARACHI: A worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) died in the custody on Friday, according to officials.

Nadeem Ahmed, 38, was brought from Central Jail to Civil Hospital Karachi on Friday as his health condition deteriorated, said a hospital official, adding that he died during treatment.

Earlier, Nadeem had been under treatment in the prison’s hospital.

His body was shifted to the mortuary and the magistrate concerned was called to supervise the process for autopsy. However, Nadeem’s family asked the magistrate they did not want the post-mortem examination, which was to be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death.

The family took away the body, said medico-legal officer, Dr Abdul Ghaffar Shaikh. Apparently, he added, there were no torture marks on the body.

The MQM said that Nadeem was its worker in unit-52 and was arrested by the Pakistan Rangers Sindh on Nov 20.

He was handed over to the Gulshan police on Nov 25 and shifted to Central Jail the next day.

The MQM official claimed that Nadeem, a father of four, was expected to be released on Friday.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2015