KARACHI - The Rangers on Tuesday arrested a number of criminals, associated with a political party, including the alleged killer of senior advocate Naimat Ali Randhawa, and recovered Indian-made weapons.
The spokesman for the Rangers, in a press statement, pointed out that a political party was misleading the citizens of Karachi, who had suffered severely at the hands of criminals and antisocial elements. The Rangers also claimed to have recovered highly prohibited Indian military weapons from MQM’s sector office in Qauidabad. The statement said it had proved presence of criminals and anti-state elements in the ranks of political parties.
“It’s not our tradition to stoop so low in our conduct. Looting of office equipment and other items and graffiti must have been done by the criminals within the folds of the political party. This kind of tactics will not deter the Rangers from fighting crime and terrorism in the city and we pledge to provide peace to all Karachiites,” the Rangers’ spokesman said.
Earlier, the Rangers conducted a targeted raid at MQM’s sector office in Qauidabad and arrested a target killer associated with a political group. On his information, further raids were carried out in Landhi No 5. During these raids, 14 criminals associated with another rival political group, including two notorious target killers, Shamim alias Goli and Sajid Hussain, were arrested while a large quantity of Indian-made and other weapons were recovered. The Rangers also recovered CCTV cameras, installed by the criminals to monitor the law-enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, City Police Chief Additional IG Shahid Hayat claimed to have arrested an activist of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) allegedly involved in the target killing of eight people, including senior advocate Naimat Ali Randhawa who was gunned down on Thursday last.
Shahid Hayat, addressing an urgent press conference at the Central Police Office (CPO), disclosed the arrest of an MQM worker, Kazim Abbas Rizvi of Unit-178. The police said Rizvi was arrested from North Nazimabad when the police, on a routine snap checking, intercepted him and recovered a 9mm pistol. He added the accused confessed to have gunned down eight people in different incidents of target killing. The accused also revealed the names of his three companions involved in the killings.
Shahid Hayat named MQM in the killing of Randhawa. He said, “It was a politically motivated target killing, not sectarian.” Replying to a question ahead of a petition against him, the city police chief said: “I may be killed, but the operation will continue.” He also pointed out that the motive behind the killing of Randhawa was Journalist Wali Babar’s murder case because Advocate Randhawa was a defence lawyer in Wali Babar’s murder case. He said: “We are trying to improve the police performance which remained poor during the last 23 years. “It will take time, but the city police will be wiped out of crimes and criminals”. During the targeted operations, the police have managed to arrest some 50 other target killers.
On the other hand, Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) condemned ‘media trial’ and atrocities against its workers. MQM Coordination Committee member Dr Saghair Ahmed, addressed a press conference against the personnel of Sindh Rangers over the arrest of its workers, registration of cases and graffiti at the offices of MQM’s elected representatives.
Dr Saghair said MQM has remained silent though atrocities against its workers have continued during the targeted operation which was actually initiated against criminals, gangsters and terrorists. He said the federal government and Rangers had stated that the operation was aimed at eliminating criminals, but the law-enforcement agencies had picked up several MQM workers and subjected them to torture.
He said the raid conducted at the Landhi offices owned by the elected members of national and provincial assemblies. He appealed to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Shahrif and DG Rangers Maj-Gen Rizwan Akhtar to take notice of the raids targeting MQM workers and the offices of its elected representatives. He said the authorities should trace black sheep in the law-enforcement agencies carrying out the operation on their personal wish. He said the law enforcers had also been harassing the families of the party workers after their release.