KARACHI: Business remained as usual and vehicles plied the streets on Wednesday despite a strike call by Muttahida Qaumi Movement to protest a Rangers siege at Farooq Sattar’s house.
In a statement released on Tuesday by MQM’s Rabita Committee, traders were requested to keep their business closed and transporters asked to keep vehiclesoff streets, in a bid to show solidarity with the political party.
The statement alleged that over 30 Rangers’ personnel cordoned off the street to Sattar’s house on Tuesday and banged his gate with their rifle butts. “The attitude of Rangers personnel proves that the Karachi Operation is targeted only at the MQM,” the statement said.
On the other hand DG Rangers Sindh Maj Gen Bilal Akbar in a reaction to the MQM strike call warned traders of closing their business. “Traders who shut down their businesses will be dealt with strictly,” he said in a statement.
“Citizens should continue with routine activities. Rangers will deal with miscreants,” the statement added.
As the day progressed a statement from the Rangers said that they had received complaints of shops being forced to close down at 23 locations on their helpline. Rangers personnel reached the locations and resumed business as usual, the statement said.
A large number of paramilitary troops surrounded the house of senior parliamentarian and leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Dr Farooq Sattar on Tuesday as part of an operation to arrest the party’s Sindh Assembly member Kamran Farooqui.
As many as 30 paramilitary troops barricaded three streets around the house located in the Peer Ilahi Bakhsh (PIB) Colony of the metropolis.
However, Sattar, who was present inside his residence, told Geo News by telephone that there was no criminal present in his house.
“I am unable to contact the Director General Rangers, I have sent him a message,” said Farooq Sattar, adding that the Rangers surrounded his house for over an hour before they left the area.
Senior MQM leaders Wasay Jalil and Nadeem Nusrat also expressed their reservations over the development.
“[It is a] part of strategy to criminalise/terrorise MQM leadership to compel it to switch loyalty,” Rabita Committee convener Nadeem Nusrat tweeted.
The second largest party in Sindh Assembly and the fourth in National Assembly, MQM has been protesting against the federal institutions’ actions in Karachi – the stronghold of the party – calling the Karachi operation an attempt to push the party against the wall.
The party’s protest intensified following the custodial death of Aftab Ahmed, coordinator of Dr Farooq Sattar.
Ahmed was arrested by the Rangers three days before his death. A Karachi court had handed over his custody to the paramilitary force for questioning. His postmortem report revealed that approximately 35 to 40 per cent of the body surface was found congested due to multiple bruises.
Immediately, after Aftab Ahmed’s death, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of death and find out the truth for justice to be done. Before that, the Rangers constituted a committee to determine the cause of the demise.