said that despite not being allowed to proceed to the Rangers headquarters, the party had managed to convey the message it intended to.
Speaking to The News, Wasey Jalil, member of the party's London Coordination Committee, said the point was not to create a law and order situation but only to convey the party’s stance to the authorities concerned. That, he said, the party had "managed to accomplish peacefully".
The party claimed that 22 of its workers – arrested over the past two days - were preparing for the party’s election campaigns when they were arrested by law enforcement agencies. The situation, however, got tense when around 15 members of the party’s Korangi sector office were taken into custody following a raid, on Wednesday.
In a statement issued following an emergency meeting of the party’s London and Karachi Coordination Committees, the raids and arrests were termed a ‘conspiracy’ to get the MQM to boycott the LB polls.
However, the senior leadership adhering to the party chief’s orders to participate in the polls come what may, denounced any talk of the party backing off from the polls.
The rally was also addressed by Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Syed Amin-ul-Haq, Waseem Akhter and Faisal Sabzwari. The sit-in was called off later in the evening.
SHC notices issues to DG Rangers, others
The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to DG Rangers, IG Sindh and others on a petition against detention of MQM’s party workers by the law enforcement agencies from its election office in Korangi.
Petitioner Ayesha Waseem submitted in the petition that her spouse Waseem Shama, along with eight other supporters and activists, was picked up by law enforcement agencies personnel from Korangi, on November 25. She submitted that her spouse had nothing to do with any criminal activity and was only sitting at the MQM’s election office set up for local bodies’ elections.
The other workers arrested were identified as Asghar Khan, Rafiq Sheikh, Ibrahim, Asif Akhtar, Nadeem Akhtar, Sher Bahadur, Mohammad Faisal and Bobby.
The court was requested to direct the police and Rangers to release the detainees and provide details of cases if any pending against them.
SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar after preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to DG Rangers, IG Sindh and others and sought their comments on December 3.