MQM-Pakistan blames PPP for arrests of PIB Colony workers

Condemning the recent arrests of its workers in PIB Colony, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Saturday accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of targeting the MQM-P through its government in Sindh.

In a statement issued, the MQM-P Coordination Committee stated that the police had arrested party’s town incharge Noman, town member Aamir Latif, UC incharge Munir, and the town incharge’s uncle, Zia, in the PIB Colony area.

The statement said the Sindh government was intentionally targeting the MQM-P and the arrests are politically motivated.

The MQM-P demanded that the PPP stop political victimisation of the MQM-P and the Sindh chief minister release the arrested workers of the party immediately.

On Thursday, the MQM-P raised hue and cry for being targeted by criminal elements in the city. During a protest outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC), the party demanded of the federal and provincial governments to provide security to its leaders and activists.

A large number of MQM-P workers gathered outside the KPC to show their anger over the killings of the party workers and attacks on its offices. MQM-P leader Amir Khan said his party had experienced a wave of attacks in various parts of the city in recent months. He said the recruitment of local residents in the police department was imperative for bringing peace to the city.

“Police personnel from other parts of the province are appointed to the police department after paying bribes to corrupt officials,” he added. In the most recent incident that occurred on Monday, six assailants riding motorbikes opened fire on a union council office in New Karachi, killing activist Shakeel Ansari and injuring Azam Zahoor, another activist.

On December 25, MQM-P former parliamentarian Ali Raza Abidi was assassinated in an incident of targeted killing in the DHA area.

At least six people were injured on December 9 in a hand grenade attack on a MQM-P’s Mehfil-i-Milad in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

Faisal Subzwari, another MQM-P leader, said that party workers had been arrested in recent weeks on false charges and party flags removed. “The Sindh government should tell us what the purpose behind the campaign is.”

He also criticised the PPP for the urban and rural job quota, lessening the powers of the mayors of Karachi and Hyderabad and other injustices with the province’s urban centres.