Daily Times

KARACHI: The police on Friday evening released Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan hours after he was arrested from his residence in Karachi’s Buffer Zone neighbourhood.

In a statement, Additional Inspector General Mustaq Maher said Hassan was released under Section 497-2B of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Former Malir SSP Rao Anwar had arrested the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly following a raid at his house. Party’s senior leader Farooq Sattar accompanied Hassan, but was not arrested.

Condemning Hassan’s arrest, Sattar told the media, “The leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly has been arrested without a warrant.”

“I asked Rao Anwar multiple times for a warrant and reason for the arrest, but he did not provide this information,” Sattar added.

Expressing anger, Sattar said Hassan’s arrest was “unjustified and unlawful”.

“Police officials arrested the MQM leader and took him away after unlawfully entering his house without female police searchers, misbehaving with those in the house.”

Sattar went on to add that the police carried out the raid on the pretext that those responsible for the May 12 mayhem were hiding there, but they could not recover anyone.

Terming the arrests in the wake of May 12 an ‘obsession’, Sattar said, “Nobody is talking about our 64 workers who were killed in extrajudicially… nobody is talking about our missing workers.”

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also suspended DIG (East) Kamran Fazal, surrendering his services to the federal government. The notification of Rao Anwar’s suspension from duty was also issued.

A meeting of senior police officials from Karachi was held at the office of the Malir senior superintendent of police (SSP).

DIG (West) Zulfiqar was appointed as DIG (East), while Korangi SSP Noman Siddiqui was given the charge of Malir.

“We need a clarification on why this raid was carried out and on whose orders,” Sattar said, adding that the MQM was ready for mass arrests of its workers if such raids were to continue in the future. “This is extremely humiliating to have our MNAs and MPAs arrested on a daily basis…” he remarked.

The MQM leader demanded the prime minister, Sindh chief minister, army chief and Karachi corps commander to “reveal” why these arrests were being made and whether it was “part of a well-thought-out agenda”. Earlier, CM Murad had summoned a report from the Sindh IG regarding the raid.