THIS refers to the news report, ‘Rangers’ chief told to arrest MQM-P’s Farooq Sattar & Amir Khan’ (May 17). According to the report, ATC-II judge sent a letter to the Sindh Rangers’DG, Maj Gen Mohammad Saeed, along with non-bailable warrants for the arrest of the two leaders, MQM-P Convener Dr Farooq Satar and Deputy Convener Amir Khan, directing him to arrest and produce them in court on May 31. This is because the police have been unable to do so.

Does this mean that the active service officers of the Pakistan armed forces who man the Rangers force will now become foot-soldiers/errand boys of the anti-terrorism court? I sure hope not.

The furore is over a speech made by Altaf Hussain on Aug 22 last year, which was immediately condemned by MQM-P leaders who also announced a complete break from Altaf Hussain.

In a country with properly functioning institutions, this would have cleared MQM-P leaders and members of any connection with the speech, and the resulting disturbances which would have been the work of Altaf-lovers, popularly called MQM-London.

I hope the army chief will direct DG Rangers not to become a part of the kind of politics being played in Sindh. As it is, the MQM-P regularly complains about arbitrary arrests, torture and disappearances of its workers, including at least one well-documented case of torture and death in Rangers custody of its media coordinator Aftab Ahmed for which no befitting punishment has been publicly announced yet, despite the then DG Rangers admitting torture.

I also think it is time Nine-Zero and Khurshid Memorial Hall were unsealed and handed over to the MQM-P.

S.R.H. Hashmi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2017