HYDERABAD: Around a dozen activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) were picked up by law-enforcement agencies in several raids conducted during the night intervening Thursday and Friday, party sources claimed. “They have been taken to some undisclosed location,” they alleged.

They said that the activists included Hali Road UC chairman Nawab Ali, City UC-25 vice chairman Tariq Shaikh, councillor Ismail Mughal, Rafiq Arain and former Paretabad sector in-charge Tariq Kazmi.

Kazmi had joined the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) but recently returned to the MQM-P fold.

MQM-P lawmakers from Hyderabad were on Friday seen approaching the law-enforcement agencies concerned to seek their release or whereabouts, the sources said, adding that some of the activists were accused of playing “Altaf Hussain’s songs” and raising pro-Altaf slogans during the Independence Day rallies on Tuesday night.

Kazmi’s family has also approached the PSP leadership as well to seek his release.

Reports suggested that security institutions were trying to ascertain whether the held activists had resumed working for the MQM-London.

A party source suggested: “There is some confusion as well in the names as law enforcers intended to apprehend someone else but they picked up party workers. Their particulars are also being verified”.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2019