KARACHI: Two days after a Rangers report blamed the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for the horrifying Baldia Town factory fire, the paramilitary force claimed on Sunday that they arrested a senior MQM worker who not only ran a team of ‘hit men’ but was also involved in the May 12, 2007 carnage in the city.

While the Rangers initially chose not to disclose the political affiliation of the held suspect, the MQM said that Rafiq Rajput, the in-charge of the Mehmoodabad sector of its organisational structure, was taken into custody by the paramilitary troops at his residence in the early hours of Sunday.

Also read: MQM claim party worker arrested, demand immediate release

However, in a late-night development, the Rangers decided to announce that the held suspect was indeed the “sector in-charge of MQM-A Mehmoodabad sector”.

A Rangers statement released to the media said: “Rangers conducted a raid on information of a possible hardened criminal in the Mehmoodabad area on Saturday night and arrested Abdul Rafiq alias Kaiyan.”

Within hours after his arrest, the held suspect “during initial interrogation confessed to his involvement in the May 12 carnage near the Baloch Colony bridge” and that “a team of targeted killers headed by Amir alias Dawani of Manzoor Colony used to take orders from him”.

The Rangers statement stated that the held suspect “also confessed to several killings” of suspected gangsters belonging to the Ashok/Kobra gang in Chanesar Goth.

“He has also been sheltering targeted killers, including notorious Raees alias Mamma group,” the statement said, adding that besides targeted killings and other crimes, he was also involved in land grabbing in the Mehmoodabad area.

The Rangers are not going to obtain his remand in any of the cases, including the May 12 carnage, as the statement said that the paramilitary force would detain him “for 90 days under relevant laws”.

“The held suspect will be presented in court on Monday [today] to seek his custody for 90 days. Furthermore, the home department would also be approached to form a joint interrogation team to interrogate the suspect.”

Earlier in the morning, the MQM coordination committee issued a statement condemning the arrest of Rafiq Rajput and said that several MQM workers had been arrested and implicated in false cases and they were subjected to brutal torture to extract confessions.

Syed Ali Raza Abidi, a Muttahida MNA from Mehmoodabad, said that 53-year-old Rajput, father of six, was an accounts officer in the State Bank of Pakistan and residents of Mehmoodabad, including supporters of the Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party, could vouch for him.

“Inviting media to Mehmoodabad to interview the public especially from ANP, PPP or PMLN and inquire about the character of Rafiq Rajput bhai,” tweeted Mr Abidi. “I along with the residents of Mehmoodabad can go to any court of law and testify with faith that Rafiq Rajput is a law abiding citizen.”

However, the Rangers had a different take and they issued another statement on Sunday night claiming that “he is using his bank job as a decoy and planning and conducting killings in the garb”.

“He was sector in charge of MQM-A Mehmoodabad sector. Weapons have also been hidden on different locations by the arrested criminal which were used often for creating law and order situation and targeted killings,” the Rangers statement added.

Only on Friday, a Rangers report submitted in the Sindh High Court said that the MQM was behind the fire incident that claimed the lives of at least 258 factory workers. The report was based on the information collected from an alleged MQM worker, Rizwan Qureshi, in 2013.

Over 45 people were killed and dozens wounded when the MQM held a rally the day then deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry landed at Karachi airport to address the Karachi Bar Association on May 12, 2007.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2015

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