HYDERABAD: Four Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MPAs from Hyderabad on Saturday claimed that men in civvies had been harassing party workers and their families for more than a week.

Speaking at a press conference at the local press club, MPAs Sabir Qaimkhani, Rashid Khilji, Dilawar Qureshi and Ayesha Aftab said that men in civvies carrying weapons were roaming around the houses and offices of party workers to harass them amid raids and arrests of dozens of other activists within the recent days.

They specifically mentioned the arrest of Akhtar Hussain, a member of the party’s elders committee, in sector-G of Hyderabad and raids on the houses of Shoaib Jafri, a member of the MQM central election cell, and Nisar Ahmed, an office-bearer of its sector-H and unit 10-B.

Mr Hussain’s wife, Salma Hussain, along with their three sons, was present at the press conference. She said her husband was picked up on April 26 in Latifabad Unit-2 while he was returning home form his shop.

The MPAs claimed that unknown people making phone calls to party workers were asking them in threatening tone to change their loyalty. The callers were threatening them with the reopening of cases registered against them during the ongoing operation, they said.

They also alleged that state institutions were being used to force MQM activists to change their loyalty.

“Such conspiracies and harassment is causing unrest among the people of Hyderabad and creating a dangerous situation,” the MPAs warned. They said they had already informed the police about the movement and activities of the armed men in civvies.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2016