Daily Times

KARACHI: Director General, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) Major General Bilal Akbar on Monday said that the August 22, 2016 violence and attacks on media houses in Karachi carried out by MQM workers was “an organized and in preplanned manner.”

Talking to journalists at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) after enquiring about the welfare of the injured, he said investigations were still continuing. Violence and attack on media houses began after MQM Chief Altaf Hussain’s anti-Pakistan speech on August 22 to his members and workers outside Karachi Press Club.

“We have arrested six accused and handed them over to police after investigations. A bank worker belonging to MQM Labour Division was arrested by Rangers while another Buland Khan is absconding,” he added.

He said two workers of MQM Labour Division working in private banks near Karachi Press Club, provided space for their party workers, catered them lunch on August 22 and kept them in a safe place until they got orders to attack the media houses.

According to him workers who resorted to violence and attacked media houses belonged to MQM sectors and units from different areas of Karachi. “They were given task to come and wait until they get the orders.”

“The arrested MQM workers have clearly told us from where acquired batons and other weapons to attack media houses. Many of those involved in violence and media houses attack are still to be apprehended. Rangers is conducting raids to arrest them,” DG Rangers stated.