MQM’s Nadeem Hashmi freed from Karachi police custody

E-Paper | October 13, 2026

MQM’s Nadeem Hashmi freed from Karachi police custody

Dawn.com Published September 17, 2013

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader and former Sindh lawmaker Nadeem Hashmi has been freed from police custody and acquitted Tuesday from all charges including killing of two policemen in Karachi last week.

A Joint Investigation Team (JIT), formed to probe charges against the MQM leader, has submitted their investigative report to the Inspector General Sindh Police declaring him not guilty.

According to sources, Hashmi has reached MQM headquarters “Nine-Zero” in Karachi following his acquittal.

An anti-terrorist court in Karachi on Thursday had ordered a seven-day-long physical remand of Hashmi.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain had condemned the arrest followed by a complete shutdown observed in the port city and in some areas of Hyderabad on Wednesday last week.

Hashmi, in charge of the MQM’s North Nazimabad unit, was handed over to the police following the order of the ATC.

The former lawmaker was arrested for his alleged involvement in the Tuesday killing of two policemen in a North Nazimabad locality.

He was apprehended in a raid on his house and booked under the anti-terror law, killing of two policemen and snatching their official rifles.

The FIR was lodged on behalf of the state.

Nadeem Hidayat Hashmi, 49, was elected an MPA in a by-election following the death of Dr Mohammad Ali who won the 2008 election from a provincial assembly seat (PS-103) in North Nazimabad.

Pakistan

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Mohsin Babar

Sep 17, 2013 08:38pm

Great! Our people deserve it.. I hope and pray aslong as these culprits are governing and have support of the people, may the People of Pakistan suffer... Ameen!

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Sep 17, 2013 08:39pm

Thanks God, innocent people should be protected. Shame on police and rangers of Sindh.

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K.Ali

Sep 17, 2013 08:57pm

What a joke that he was found not guilty by police. It is shameful how we let these gangsters off the hook all the time.

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Adnan Khan

Sep 17, 2013 08:58pm

...and the truth shall set you free!!

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M. Siddique

Sep 17, 2013 09:11pm

So MQM succeeded in intimidating investigating body. A judicial inquiry is in order for a thorough investigation.

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its-sylvester

Sep 17, 2013 09:43pm

Will the police explain why Hashmi was arrested in the first place when there was no real concrete evidence against him?

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IBN-E-ASHFAQUE

Sep 17, 2013 10:14pm

His release is good but not enough. Who ordered his arrest? and on what basis? This needs to be impartially investigated. At least we the citizens have the right to know who did this? Is this too much to ask of the Police?

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Ahmed

Sep 17, 2013 11:39pm

Can someone provide statistic about the ratio of Urdu speaking people in police and ranger in Karachi? If true statistic come out, it will not be difficult to figure out why biased local government and local authorities are trying to wage so called targeted operation on MQM and Urdu speaking people in Karachi. Basically trying to punish Urdu speaking people of Karachi for supporting and validating the mandate of Karachi to MQM. Did they ever arrest Navy intelligence servicemen? Those were involve in kidnapping and ransom collection activities?

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Youth

Sep 17, 2013 11:54pm

Nadeem Hashmi's acquittal is a feather on the hat of MQM. I think those having grudge against MQM should by now learn to respect & recognize the comprising educated & disciplined persons. MQM as a reality & big league player in Pakistan.

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haider

Sep 18, 2013 12:04am

@its-sylvester: The question arises why was he released two days before the remand period? Who ordered to violate the anti-terrorist courts orders? If it has to be continued like this, then it's better to call off the targeted operation and end this drama sooner the better.

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Dr. Shoaib Zafar

Sep 18, 2013 01:29am

The arrest was a mere gesture that the government is 'serious' on Karachi issue.

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John Syed

Sep 18, 2013 02:06am

Since when Police has become prosecutor and judge without courts? Let us dissolve all the courts and let corrupt police rule itself as to who is guilty or not. The federal justice department ought take notice. The money in the police purse speaks louder than mundane justice.

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A khan

Sep 18, 2013 03:41am

Good news

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AbuBakr

Sep 18, 2013 07:19am

Just because he is an urdu speaking ; a mohajir he is signaled out of course it was like this 50 years ago and it is the same case now and since the paper tiger is now the choice of 80% of pakistani's his actions speaks volumes about his punjabiness.

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mujahid

Sep 18, 2013 07:29am

what a joke of the arrest of one former parliamentarian of MQM & later released by the authorities shows how desperate the police & rangers were to release him as a result of a call from Vodafone & in this respect get back the Veteran Governor back from dubai to karachi.

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Farouk Khan

Sep 18, 2013 07:54am

Only courts can pronounce him guilty or not. There is a spin here. At best the police can free him on basis of not enough evidence. This "Not guilty" business will be used by MQM as a propaganda tool.

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Salman

Sep 18, 2013 08:24am

Nadeem Hashmi's sudden release smells of a deal !

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MAK

Sep 18, 2013 08:50am

Nadeem Hashmi is North Nazimabad's Sector incharge from MQM and since the killings happened in his sector, he was arrested on suspicion of being involved. this is a regular practice of the police to round-up suspects without evidence, I hope he didn't have to visit the "Drawing room" in the police station for too long.

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Ali

Sep 18, 2013 09:49am

Considering the validity of the investigation result by JIT, if the same level of investigation and effort is done for all citizen then I believe FIR register and ATC appeals will be mark complete in a short period of time. This has again proved discrimination between normal citizen and upper class citizen.

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hamidik

Sep 18, 2013 09:57am

why was he arrested in the first place - responsibility fixed and common man must know inner story!

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Dawar Naqvi

Sep 18, 2013 10:57am

This was an extreme example of the bias and discriminatory treatment against political party. I humbly request chief justice of Pakistan to call comprehensive investigation on custody of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader and former Sindh lawmaker Nadeem Hashmi.

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N K Ali

Sep 18, 2013 11:19am

The world will stop saying a "Greek Tragedy" and start illustrating their statements, quotes, and textbooks as a "Pakistani Tragedy." The PPP and PMLN are humiliating and victimizing MQM on false charges, which creates disharmony and the destruction of the social and economic order. Let the cases be verified to proceed further and clean the city from banned outfits in Karachi and its outskirts. Why are the TTP, LEJ, LET, and Lyari strongholds under a soft influence of the Rangers? The PPP failed a long time ago as a political party without the necessary trappings. The question arises, when will the political parties vote in the assembly against talks with the TTP and start to retaliate for the incessant killings of humans and physical destruction of Pakistan? The TTP is seen as angels and the MQM as demons. Salams

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Sep 18, 2013 11:23am

Is his release the work of high ups. The game played in Karachi at the expense of innocent lives.

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anees khan

Sep 18, 2013 11:29am

One thing very obvious Karachi Operation is "Fraud" It's Kiyani Extension Programme by courtesy MQM. What is punishment of SHO who booked PPC 302/303,What about Master mind conspirer who plotted all story? We will never see them? Poor Pakistani. What about those poor who arrested no backing from any party ,they are been forced by Rangers to accept themselves as Target Killer(Dawn TV report) . Where is Suo Motto Champion PPC 302/303 released without Court Proceeding?

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ARIF

Sep 18, 2013 11:54am

Police and political parties should explain to public who killed the two police men.

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ali ahmed

Sep 18, 2013 11:55am

A famous proverb "A wise enemy is better than foolish friend" is redefined in case of MQM. It has no friend at all in Pakistani politics, but it's enemies surely are foolish in dealing with it. Apprehension of Nadeem Hashmi from the very first day seemed foolish and politically motivated. His release has made MQM's case stronger and the party which is known for defending itself like a cornered cat will leave no stone unturned in going after the master mind behind of his arrest.

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ARIF

Sep 18, 2013 12:02pm

Shamful act - whatever it is true or false, people can judge

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SYED WASIM HAIDER

Sep 18, 2013 12:44pm

Who is responsible for the loss due to general strike???

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Farooque Ali

Sep 18, 2013 01:06pm

actually it is called politics. first arrest them and then released them because of Political Pressure.... People should nt forget when he was arrested how the metropolitan city was observed like a Desert , don`t you think that police got Pressure??? everybody knows who is handling the Karachi no matter who is CM of Sindh, because federal government and provincial governments are just a formality... If Police and Rangers have been given full power without any political pressure, the operation just need 1 week to catch all culprits and will recover the whole smuggled weapons. in every corner of city you can find weapons esp. in education institutions, police knows the exact place just lack of cooperation between intelligence agencies and arm forces and more political pressure.

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ali

Sep 18, 2013 02:39pm

The guys a criminal who belongs to a terrorist organisation how terrorise karachi. He got let off because his pay masters paid the police to get him off the hook.

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Nawazish

Sep 18, 2013 02:45pm

I fully agree with the earlier two commentators. The policemen who filed an FIR under which an innocent person was charged with murder need to be punished. Please wake up MQM leadership to this police high handedness and lawfully proceed in this regard so that no innocent person becomes the victim of terrorism at the hands of state machinery, particularly the police. They should also uncover and let the people see the faces of political criminals who have for decades been misusing police force to victimize their foes.

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Sarwat

Sep 19, 2013 12:22am

Why was he set free when he is responsible for the deaths of policemen? Again no repercussion after committing crime. These are the practices that lead to monstrous problem later on.

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