KARACHI: Police detained 50 persons, mostly political party workers, on Friday on suspicion of their involvement in recent knife attacks on women.

The police believed the attacks could have political motives such as undermining performance of law-enforcement agencies or spreading political uncertainty.

The persons were detained during raids and snap checking by the police.

“Most of the workers belong to MQM-London and MQM-P, however, some are even affiliated with Pak Sarzameen Party and Pakistan Peoples Party,” a police official said.

“Their verification was carried out and 27 of them were released by Friday evening,” he added. Police sources said senior leaders of the MQM-P arrived at the New Town police station to get their activists released when some of them were detained by the police late on Thursday night.

The police sources added that the detained workers had allegedly misbehaved with the police during detention. They were however released on the intervention of some high officials after tendering apology.

Meanwhile, one suspect, identified as Asif, managed to escape from the custody of Gulistan-i-Jauhar police who was again detained from the JPMC for questioning.

Asif visited the JPMC where he told the media that he was allegedly tortured by the police to confess his involvement in attacks on women.

He claimed that he was taken to Dalmia where the policemen asked him to flee. As he ran, the policemen allegedly opened fire on him but he remained unhurt.

Karachi East SSP Dr Samiullah Soomro refuted the charges and told Dawn that the police had detained Asif during snap checking. He was being taken to the police station when he managed to flee, added SSP Soomro.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2017