HYDERABAD: Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Riaz (JSM-R) chairman Riaz Chandio on Saturday criticised the fashion in which he and his senior party colleague were taken to the Rangers’ headquarters in Qasimabad earlier in the day and the way his licensed weapons were checked by the personnel.

Speaking at a press conference along with the party’s vice chairman Nawaz Shah Badahi, he said he and Mr Badahi were “detained for about three hours” at the headquarters.

Narrating the episode, Mr Chandio said that he along with Mr Badahi were going to the house of his (Mr Chandio’s) brother in Qasimabad by car when Mr Badahi noticed that some motorcyclists were following them. “When we left the place and were crossing a nearby private school, the car was intercepted by Rangers personnel, who asked me to produce my weapons — a repeater and a pistol — and then we were told to accompany them to the Rangers’ local headquarters. I declined and said that police be called and the reason to go with them be explained. The Rangers men said the weapons are to be checked to see if they were used in some crime. I also said that I would prefer to sit in a police mobile or my own car to go to the headquarters.”

Mr Chandio said they were taken to the headquarters where his CNIC was taken and two shots from each of the weapons were fired.

He said the weapons were then returned to him along with the CNIC and car and they were allowed to leave.

“It’s for the first time that a party leader’s weapons were checked in this fashion; I don’t know which empties or bullets will be sent to some laboratory for a forensic test because nothing was shared,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2020