HYDERABAD: An activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) died on Sunday in the central prison under controversial circumstances. Hyderabad Central Prison chief Shahab Siddiqui said that the undertrial prisoner, Mohammad Saeed, alias Saeed Mohajir, son of Mohammad Sardar Gaddi, died from some ailment in the wee hours of Sunday.

Saeed was picked up in March and had been facing a trial in a case registered against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act at the Pinyari police station vide FIR No. 48/26. Sections 123-A, 341, 427, 147 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code, besides Section 6/7 of the ATA, were also invoked in the FIR.

Family’s version

Saeed was around 60-year-old, according to his son, Babar Gaddi. He was a resident of Hali Road Hyderabad.

Babar told Dawn over phone after burial that his father was laid to rest in the Gaddi graveyard on Sunday evening. “When I met him on Saturday, he was running short of breath,” he said.

“I informed the prison chief, who spoke to the hospital doctor for examining my father at around 4:30pm. But then nothing of note happened,” he added.

Babar said that the family was informed by the prison authorities at 8:30am that Saeed had died in hospital. Babar claimed that his father was on the verge of superannuation and currently serving in the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC).

He said that the ECG examination of his father was done at 3:23am, as per LUH’s examination report. Babar claimed that his father died on the way to hospital. “My father was kept on pain killers in the jail’s hospital, and he didn’t get the required medical treatment he needed,” Babar alleged.

He also alleged that his father remained missing for 18 days after having been picked up by police on March 27, when he had gone to seek hi pre-arrest bail from the ATC — located inside the central prison.

Additional Police Surgeon Dr Adeel Rajput told Dawn that the family didn’t get a postmortem done. He said that the patient was brought from the prison to the casualty department of the LUH.

‘Extrajudicial killing’

MQM-L’s Qasim Ali Raza condemned the incident in a communication from London on Sunday evening, urging HR bodies to raise their voice against the “extrajudicial killing”. He alleged that Saeed faced maltreatment. He was the senior most activist of the party, he said, adding that despite his condition getting deteriorated, he was not shifted to a hospital.

The heirs claimed that Saeed had been confined to the prison for over a month, after having been picked up by police in some two months earlier, in March. According the jail superintendent, the undertrial prisoner suffered from some cardiac complaints and pain in joints.

He said that when he complained of the ailment, he was shifted to the Liaquat University Hospital (LUH), city branch, where he breathed his last.

‘Activist remained missing for 18 days’

According to MQM-London’s legal aid activist, Shakeel Zai, Saeed was picked-up, along with some other activists, on March 27 outside the central prison where he had arrived to seek his pre-arrest bail in the case. Eight other activists were also there.

“He remained missing for about 18 days and was finally charge-sheeted by the Pinyari police in an ATA case on April 14,” Mr Zai said.

He said that his bail application was fixed for hearing before the Sindh High Court on July 14. He said he would be filing a petition before the high court on behalf of the family.

21 activists booked

The Pinyari police had nominated 21 activists of the MQM-London in the FIR. They included Saeed and 10 to 15 other unknown persons. The police claimed that the suspects were raising slogans against the integrity of Pakistan and in favour of (MQM-L leader) Altaf Hussain in Rehman Town.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2026