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  • Sep 26th, 2014
  • Comments Off on Altaf demands removal of rangers who acted ‘unlawfully’
The founder and leader of MQM Altaf Hussain has condemned the raid on MQM?s office in Scheme-33, alleged torture on party workers present in the office, 'arbitrary' arrests of dozens of MQM workers and their derisive attitude towards women in the strongest possible terms.

In a statement on Thursday, Hussain said, "An illegal raid was conducted on MQM's Office in Scheme-33. The sector office also houses the offices of Haq Parast Member of Provincial Assembly Faisal Sabzwari and Member of National Assembly Muzumil Qureshi. They use the office to meet the voters of their constituency and listen to grievances of public. Like MQM's other offices, workers and people daily visit the office. A meeting was going on in the office to discuss the reorganisation of MQM. Members of Rabita Committee too had to attend the meeting. The meeting had barely begun when the Rangers raided the offices of Sabzwari and Qureshi. Paramilitary forces and rangers personnel came on several vehicles. They brutally tortured workers. They undressed them and took them to unknown places."

He added: "Mothers, sisters and elders of workers reached the sector office when they got the news of the raid. Rangers personnel brutally tortured women who had gathered at the sector office. When the elected representative Sabzwari reached the place of incident he was not allowed to enter the office and stopped by the Rangers at 100 yards from the office. Sabzwari asked the rangers personnel in a loud voice inside his car and said he wanted to speak with officer. Rangers major refused to talk to him. When he insisted he wanted to meet the officer, the Rangers personnel warned him that it would be better he leave the place. When he heard this he left the place."

Hussain said MQM is the only party that has always supported operations against extremists carried out by the army and paramilitary forces. MQM has taken out a one 'million march' to express solidarity with the army and paramilitary forces and paid glowing tributes to them. MQM has openly supported them whenever anyone tried to damage the credibility and hurt the honour of the army. "However, there are black sheep in rangers who are sworn enemies of Muhajir people. They are highly expert in extrajudicial murders and throwing their headless bodies on roads. These elements conduct illegal raids and make arbitrary arrests of MQM workers and treat their family members in hateful manners," Hussain said.

"I have been telling the army, and officials of ISI and MI about these tragic incidents through my statements and speeches. It is deplorable that paramilitary force rangers have been repeating the tragic incident of June 19, 1992 by conducting illegal raids, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings of MQM workers," Hussain said.

The MQM chief demanded that the rangers personnel who conducted the illegal raid at MQM office should be removed from their service and be put on trial in accordance with the accountability procedure of the army. "Stop illegal raids, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial murders of MQM workers and immediately release all the workers arrested from MQM office in Scheme-33. "I have tried to contact Chief Minister Sindh to report this incident but my call was not put through. On my insistence, the operator of the chief minister's house said that Sain has gone out. I asked him whether he has gone to attend a party at the late hours. The operator did not respond," Hussain said.

Copyright Pakistan Press International, 2014


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