KARACHI: Pakistan Rangers Sindh on Saturday claimed to have arrested two suspected target killers involved in killing Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders Sajid Qureshi and Raza Haider from Karachi's Gulshan-i-Maymar area.
According to a statement issued by the paramilitary force's spokesman, the duo, Akbar Hussain alias Kala and Konain Hyder Rizvi too belong to MQM and were involved in a number of target killing activities, arson and cracker attacks.
Akbar alias Kala is said to be involved in killing party leaders Sajid Qureshi and Raza Haider along with attacks on a number of party camps during elections to get public sympathy.
Konain Rizvi allegedly killed seven people and is also involved in a number of arson attacks besides forcing people to donate money for the party, said the Rangers spokesman's statement.
MQM lawmaker in Sindh Asssembly Raza Haider was assassinated in Karachi on August 2, 2010.
Haider was gunned down, along with his police guard, in Jama Masjid Nazimabad, where he had gone to attend the funeral of the mother of a friend.
In a similar incident on June 2013, MQM lawmaker Sajid Qureshi and his 25-year-old son were targeted in a drive-by shooting as they left a mosque after attending Friday prayers in North Nazimabad neighbourhood.
The outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for Sajid Qureshi's killing.
Related: MQM leader Manzar Iman's assassin arrested, say Rangers
The deployment of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, in Karachi is requisitioned under Article 147 of the Constitution, and under Clause 1 of Sub-section 3 of Section 4 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, authorised to prevent the commission of terrorist acts, or scheduled offences in notified area for the punishment of terrorist in accordance with the provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.
Called in 1989 to assist the police in Karachi by the then PPP-led government amid a deteriorating law and order situation, the Rangers started enjoying more powers in 2009 — again extended by PPP-led governments both in the centre and the province, which allowed the force to search houses and arrest suspects without warrants.
