KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Wednesday said its 22 workers were mostly busy with the election campaign when they were arrested by the law enforcement agencies in what the party saw as an attempt to curtail the activities of the most favourite contender of the local government elections in Karachi days before polling day.

MQM spokesperson Ameen-ul-Haq said that 10 MQM workers who were busy in election-related activities were arrested in a raid on the party’s sector office in Korangi. Then, he said, the party’s unit office in Hijrat Colony, which had recently been set up as an election office, was raided to arrest six more workers.

“In other separate actions across the city, our six more workers were arrested.

“Only today [Wednesday] our 22 workers were arrested in different parts of the city. The situation is self-explanatory,” he said. There was a consistent attempt to keep MQM activities under attack but despite all hurdles the party’s organisational and elections offices were open, with workers in high spirits determined to win majority seats in the elections scheduled to be held on Dec 5.

“The frequent raids and arrests have caused concern among the MQM leaders. The emerging situation will be discussed in a meeting of coordination committee. The meeting would definitely decide the party’s future strategy,” he added. He said MQM posters and banners were being removed from Sharea Faisal, Shahrah-i-Pakistan and M. A. Jinnah Road.

A Rangers spokesperson was not available for comment.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2015