KARACHI: The Rangers on Thursday claimed to have arrested 16 Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers in Rizvia Society on a charge of ‘forcible’ collection of ‘Fitrana’ from residents, while the party took strong exception to the move and asked which law restrained a welfare organisation from collecting Fitra.

The Rangers statement identified the political affiliation of the held suspects but did not mention the exact place where they had conducted the raid. The MQM claimed that the party workers, including sector-in-charge, were arrested in the presence of a party lawmaker during a raid on the party’s sector office.

According to a spokesperson for the paramilitary force, the personnel detained 16 MQM workers, who were ‘forcibly’ collecting Fitra, in Rizvia Society late Wednesday night. At least Rs31,500 in cash and 1,000 chits of Fitra were seized from their custody.

“The Rangers will produce them before a court and if anyone of them is found innocent, he will be released.

“The Rangers will not allow any political or religious party to collect Fitrana from residents forcibly,” said the official.

In an oblique reference to the late Wednesday night press conference by the MQM leaders, the Rangers spokesperson said the press conference in favour of the held persons was equal to supporting such elements. “People have become fed up with those who extract extortion (bhatta) in the name of Fitrana,” said the official.

The Rangers urged citizens to inform them if anyone tried to collect Fitra from them forcibly. Terming such acts of extortion, the paramilitary force vowed that they would provide protection to the people.

According to the MQM, the Rangers conducted the raid on the party’s sector office situated in the Peetal Gali area of Gulbahar Colony where party workers and office-bearers were present after Iftar in connection with the collection of Zakat and Fitra for the Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation and other public issues.

MNA Sufyan Yousuf was also present at the sector office, the party said.

The MQM alleged that the Rangers personnel ‘misbehaved’ with MNA Yousuf and took away the workers along with documents, receipts of Zakat and Fitra and other office items.

The party identified those arrested by the Rangers as MQM sector in charge Zubair Ashraf, joint sector in charge Shakir Raza and Hamid, sector members Shahzad, Waseem Danish and Qayyum, Unit 168 in charge Abbas, Unit 181 in charge Imtiaz, joint in charge of Unit 188 Shakir Ansari, Unit 181 committee member Adnan Ashraf, Unit 181 workers Azmat and Zafar Ali, and Unit 188 worker Farrukh Jawed.

The MQM, however, did not provide the names of the remaining three workers/ office-bearers.

“The arrested MQM workers have been moved to an unidentified location and according to information they are being subjected to inhuman torture in custody,” alleged the party.

“Which law of the country makes the collection of Zakat and Fitra by a welfare organization an illegal act?” asked the MQM coordination committee in a statement.

It stated that the people of Karachi were well aware that the MQM’s Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation was ‘engaged in public welfare works’ using money collected in the form of Zakat and Fitra.

The Rangers were justifying their action by equating the collection of Zakat and Fitra with extortion, it added.

The coordination committee said that stopping MQM workers and KKF volunteers from collecting Zakat and Fitra was a ‘great injustice’ to the people and creating a ‘hurdle’ in the way of KKF welfare activities.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2015

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