On COAS’s orders,DG Rangers sets up team to probe MQM man’s custodial death

Several Rangers officials suspended

RAWALPINDI/KARACHI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the death of Aftab Ahmed, a local leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), who died in the custody of the paramilitary force, a private TV channel reported.

Directing to hold an inquiry into Aftab’s death, the army chief instructed that justice must be done, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

On the other hand, the Rangers suspended some officials for their suspected involvement in Aftab’s death under controversial circumstances. On Tuesday night, Rangers Director General Major General Bilal Akber accepted that the deceased MQM worker was tortured by the paramilitary force in custody and vowed that strict action would be taken against those responsible for misconduct. He also said that Aftab’s death had occurred due to a heart attack. The Rangers said in a statement that an investigation team had been set up to probe the cause of Aftab’s death and “reveal the facts”.

The statement comes after pictures and videos were seen doing the rounds on the social media, reportedly showing the corpse of the deceased worker with major torture marks across his body. “Aftab Ahmed died during the Rangers custody as he was detained for 90 days for no reason,” MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil said in a tweet.

Aftab, a prominent activist and aide to Farooq Sattar, the MQM leader in the National Assembly, was arrested from his house on Sunday and died on Tuesday. The Rangers initially said Aftab had died of a heart attack, but the MQM said he was “extrajudicially killed” in the force’s custody.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in August formed a “grievances redressal committee” to address the MQM’s concerns but the body has not published its findings.Aftab, 42, was a resident of Federal B Area’s Block 14 and a father of five. He had been associated with the MQM since 1990 when he joined Unit-85 of the party’s organisational structure in Landhi.