No tolerance for collection of forced donations: Rangers

Karachi
The Sindh Rangers on Thursday claimed to have arrested 16 men belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for allegedly demanding Fitra forcibly from residents of Rizvia Society.
According to a statement issued by the paramilitary force, Rs31,500 and 1,000 receipts related to Fitra collection were recovered from their possession, besides other documents.
The statement maintained that coercing people into giving Fitra donations would not be tolerated, and asked people to inform the Rangers over their helpline 1101 to report those involved in the activity.
Referring to the MQM’s press conference, the statement said holding media briefings in favour of those arrested was equal to providing support to such elements.
The MQM Coordination Committee, however, condemned the raid and demanded to know the law under which taking donations for welfare was a crime.
While addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarter, Nine Zero, senior MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the arrest of Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation’s activists was tantamount to obstructing welfare activities, and added that MQM workers were being arrested for no reason.
In a statement, the MQM Coordination Committee asked which law of the country made the collection of Zakat and Fitra by a welfare organisation an illegal act.
It said the people of Karachi were fully aware that the Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation of the MQM was actively engaged in public welfare works using money collected in the form of Zakat and Fitra.
“Local office-bearers of MQM were present in the Gulbahar Sector of the MQM when Rangers raided it and arrested sixteen workers along with the area sector in-charge. Rangers are justifying their action by equating the collection of Zakat and Fitra with extortion.”
The committee said stopping MQM workers and KKF volunteers from collecting Zakat and Fitra “is a great injustice to the people and creating hurdles in the way of welfare activities of KKF”.

MQM man remanded
The Sindh Rangers were granted a 90-day remand of an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Shahid Sahkoor, by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday.
The law officer informed the court that Shakoor, in-charge of the party’s Lyari sector, was alleged to have extorted money from people under the guise of Fitra; also told that the accused was a suspect in several other cases.
An apprehension order was presented before the court which empowered the Rangers to detain a suspect for 90 days even over a suspicion which was endorsed by the court.