KARACHI, May 21: Amid already tense situation, the law- enforcement agencies raided 61 houses in Landhi on Wednesday and picked up dozens of people for questioning.

The renewed operation sent a wave of terror in the locality.

Well-placed sources said that the residence of Mohajir Qaumi Movement Haqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed, was raided in the C-1 area in Sector 5-D on an information that he was at home. The police also raided the neighbourhood houses and picked up more than 100 people.

A police spokesman said that the police and the rangers in a joint action raided 61 houses in Shah Khalid Colony near Chiragh Hotel and detained 47 persons for questioning.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement claimed that due to their efforts, 47 innocent people were released from the Landhi police station late in the evening.

It said the transport minister, Mohammad Adil Siddiqui visited various areas in Landhi, along with MPA Mustapha Kamal, to inquire about the problems of the people. He was informed that the police have picked up dozens of people in raids during the past few days.

He took notice of complaints and spoke to the advisor to Sindh chief minister on home affairs, Mr Aftab Shaikh, the IGP Sindh, the DIG Karachi and the TPO Landhi. Later, the minister went to the Landhi PS and got the innocent people released, whose parents thanked the Muttahida representatives.

Police and rangers pickets have been set up in Landhi to keep an eye on anti-social elements. Police patrolling has also been intensified.

The MQM Haqiqi claimed that the police ransacked the house of Afaq Ahmed and also took away some files with them.

They also said the police broke open the doors of several houses, and abused and misbehaved with families and ransacked their homes.

They alleged that the police beat up the inmates when they argued about the raids.

Mr Nehal, a dejected resident of sector 5-D, Landhi No-6, claimed that policemen scaled the walls of his home in the wee hours of Wednesday, misbehaved with his family members and also abused women.

“My son Raheel Hafeez was asleep. They raided our house without showing any search warrants, and whisked him away with them”, he said.

“What is our fault, and why are we being humiliated and punished for no fault of ours.

“The police are repeatedly claiming since morning that my son will be released, but he is still in their custody.

“He is not a political activist. I also believe that many others picked up by the police are innocent,” he said.

A Haqiqi spokesman claimed at least 50-55 police vans surrounded Afaq’s house at 4am and raided the house.

“In Landhi police station, almost 75 sympathisers of the party are detained and they are not being released.”

He claimed the police, led by a formerly suspended SHO of Landhi, Anwar Hussain Jaffery, had been raiding houses in the area and picking up innocent youth.

Jaffery opened straight fire at the shop of Haseeb in Jam Nagar, Landhi, to create harassment in the area, it was stated.

Sources said Anwar Hussain Jaffery had earlier been suspended in April and a departmental inquiry was initiated against him in the custodial death of Saleemuddin, a Haqiqi activist. He was reinstated and posted in the CID, but was relieved when he had an ‘encounter’ on May 18 in which another Haqiqi man Zamir Khan died. He was later asked to report to the CCPO office.

The Haqiqi spokesman said that as street-lights remained switched, the Muttahida activists under the cover of police roamed streets to create terror. He said the house of Athar Usmani, secretary information of MQM Haqiqi’s Karachi committee, was raided twice during the last 24 hours near Baitul Hamza.

Aslam Mujahid, a candidate for the Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal, contesting the by-elections for NA-255 said that the police had been picking up innocent youth and were misbehaving with people and abusing families. This situation is resulting in hatred against police.

“We are urging the police to release innocent people but they are consistently refusing to release the youths.”

He claimed that the Muttahida activists were picking up youths and forcing them to sign an undertaking to remain loyal to the Muttahida.

“This amounts to sabotaging the electoral process”, he remarked.

Mr Mujahid said TPOs and SHOs of four police stations have been posted at Landhi after the announcement of election schedule.

“We have objected to it and will bring it to the notice of the election commission”, he maintained.

Since the beginning of the process for the by-elections, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement made inroads into the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-dominated areas in Landhi. This has resulted in tension in these localities.

Muttahida activists under the cover of the police took over the unit offices of MQM Haqiqi during the past five days, which made the situation volatile, political analysts said.

The Haqiqi had bagged the NA seat from Landhi, which fell vacant after the death of Haqiqi candidate Mehmood Qureshi.

Sources said as the Muttahida was the partner in the coalition government, it enjoys the backing of the law enforcement agencies.

The Muttahida wanted to use the force to eliminate their rivals once for all as they did not want to lose this golden opportunity, analysts opined.