KARACHI, June 1: Police on Sunday spread their operation against the Mohajir Qaumi Movement to New Karachi and Malir where 26 more activists were picked up.

A spokesman for the MQM-H said that police were hunting for their Karachi committee members, Shamshad Ghori and Mohammad Javed, in Malir.

The spokesman alleged that police entered a number of houses and misbehaved with families, abusing women and picking up innocent people.

“They raided the houses and asked about Mr Ghori and Mr Javed. They picked up 18 people who are either our activists or sympathizers,” said the spokesman.

He further said that police raided many houses in New Karachi in search of Mohammad Raza, in charge of MQM’s New Karachi sector.

“They failed to find him, but picked up eight MQM activists,” he added.

He alleged that police had been arresting innocent people and letting them off after getting ‘ransom’ for their release. “ It has become their business. They pick up innocent people and release them after getting illegal gratifications; it has created a strong feeling of insecurity in many areas,” he claimed.

A senior police official refuted the allegations and denied conducting raids and making arrests in New Karachi and Malir.

He said police had not made any party a target. “We are going after criminals on information, and this is our job,” he added.

The MQM-H sources said that most of the people picked up by police in the small hours of Saturday morning were released on Sunday.