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MQM cries foul as Rangers arrest more party workers

On Saturday night the Rangers carried out targeted raids in several localities and claimed to have arrested over a dozen suspects "affiliated with a political party".

Islamabad: With next phase of local government elections in Sindh, particularly Karachi, only a fortnight away, the Rangers have launched a fresh wave of arrests in what is viewed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to be a renewed crackdown on the party to impede its campaign and influence the outcome in favour of its opponents.
On Saturday night the Rangers carried out targeted raids in several localities and claimed to have arrested over a dozen suspects "affiliated with a political party".
While a Rangers spokesman, without mentioning the MQM, said that the paramilitary force arrested a total of 20 suspects in raids on the "hideouts of criminals and targeted killers affiliated with a political party", the MQM condemned the arrest of its 17 workers, including some local government election candidates and office-bearers, by "a law enforcement agency and personnel in plain clothes" in various parts of the city.
On November 12, the Rangers issued a statement insisting that the paramilitary force-led targeted operation in Karachi had not slowed down after the MQM launched its campaign for the third phase of local elections scheduled to be held on December 5 in Karachi and reopened its party offices.
"A debate is going on in the media these days that the Karachi operation has slowed down," said the statement. "It is explained here that the Karachi operation will continue in full swing till the arrest of the last terrorist and targeted killer," the Rangers had said in the statement.
And the Rangers swung into action just eight days after the November 12 statement, dispelling the impression that it turned soft on the MQM.
On Saturday, the Rangers spokesman said that a targeted raid was carried out in Lines Area in which nine suspects belonging to a political party were arrested.
Separately, the paramilitary force also carried out targeted raids in Shah Faisal Colony, Mohammadi Colony and Khokhrapar on the alleged hideouts of "criminals and targeted killers affiliated with a political party" and held 11 suspects, said the Rangers spokesman.
On its part, the MQM said that it was being targeted under a well thought-out conspiracy, as its innocent workers were being arrested and implicated in false cases.
"Innocent MQM workers are being arrested by the power suffering from MQM-phobia following the tremendous success of the MQM in (local government elections in) Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Naushero Feroze," said a party statement issued on Saturday.
It said that the law-enforcers arrested five workers in Shah Faisal Colony, six workers in Lines Area and two workers each in Malir, Korangi and Orangi Town.
The MQM coordination committee demanded that the prime minister and other authorities concerned take notice of the arrests of MQM workers and order their release.
news@khaleejtimes.com

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