KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain said on Saturday that he did not know Umair Siddiqui and demanded his ‘open-court trial’ so that the truth came out and any doubt that he had confessed under torture was cleared.

Reacting to Rangers’ allegation that Umair Siddiqui was an MQM activist, who was involved in killing 120 people, Mr Hussain said: “If he is guilty, hang him publicly.”

Read: MQM worker says Sector In-charge set Baldia Factory on fire

In an interview with Geo News, he said the MQM had experienced similar tactics in 1992. “In fact the Rangers authorities always adopt such tactics to hide their flaws and shortcomings, but these could not deprive the MQM of its support among the masses.”

When his attention was drawn to his own demand for an army operation in Karachi, the London-based MQM chief said it was his mistake to give such a call because his party wanted action against the growing influence of Al Qaeda and Taliban in the city, but the guns were turned on his party.

Also read: 90 raid aftermath: MQM at crossroads

Also on Sunday, Mr Husain urged human rights organisations, civil society and the legal fraternity to raise voice against ‘torture of detained MQM workers’.

“It was MQM which demanded operation in Karachi but now we are being victimised in the name of anti-crime action,” he said while addressing members of the party’s legal aid committee at Nine Zero.

“The Rangers spokesperson did not provide facts regarding arrest of all the suspects from Nine Zero. More than 140 people have been picked up during the raid. Even my cousin and nephew who are government employees were arrested,” the MQM chief said.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2015

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