KARACHI: In what appeared to be a renewed crackdown on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement when local government elections in Karachi are just a fortnight away, Rangers troops carried out targeted raids in several localities and claimed to have arrested over a dozen suspects “affiliated with a political party” on Saturday.

While a Rangers spokesman, without mentioning the name of the MQM, said that the paramilitary force arrested a total of 20 suspects in raids on the “hideouts of criminals and targeted killers affiliated with a political party”, the MQM condemned the arrest of its 17 workers, including some local government election candidates and office-bearers, by “a law enforcement agency and personnel in plain clothes” in various parts of the city.

On Nov 12, the Rangers issued a statement insisting that the paramilitary force-led targeted operation in Karachi had not slowed down after the MQM launched its campaign for the third phase of LG elections scheduled to be held on Dec 5 in Karachi and reopened its party offices.

“A debate is going on in the media these days that the Karachi operation has slowed down,” said the statement. “It is explained here that the Karachi operation will continue in full swing till the arrest of the last terrorist and targeted killer,” the Rangers had said in the statement.

And the Rangers swung into action just eight days after the Nov 12 statement, dispelling the impression that it turned soft on the MQM.

On Saturday, the Rangers spokesman said that a targeted raid was carried out in Lines Area in which nine suspects belonging to a political party were arrested.

Separately, the paramilitary force also carried out targeted raids in Shah Faisal Colony, Muhammadi Colony and Khokhrapar on the alleged hideouts of “criminals and targeted killers affiliated with a political party” and held 11 suspects, said the Rangers spokesman.

On its part, the MQM said that it was being targeted under a well thought-out conspiracy, as its “innocent workers” were being arrested and implicated in false cases.

“Innocent MQM workers are being arrested by the power suffering from MQM-phobia following the tremendous success of the MQM in [local government elections in] Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Naushahro Feroze,” said a party statement issued on Saturday.

It said that the law-enforcers arrested five workers in Shah Faisal Colony, six workers in Lines Area and two workers each in Malir, Korangi and Orangi Town.

The MQM coordination committee demanded that the prime minister and other authorities concerned take notice of the arrests of MQM workers and order their release.

24 suspected militants held

The Rangers spokesman said that the paramilitary troops arrested over 20 suspects allegedly affiliated with banned militant outfits.

He said that the arrested were made in the Sohrab Goth, Nazimabad, Abul Hasan Ispahani Road, Quaidabad, Dawood Chowrangi, New Muzaffarabad Colony, Azam Basti and Frontier Colony areas.

He also said that nine ‘criminals’ were arrested in a raid in Safoora Goth.

Also on Saturday night, the spokesman said that targeted raids were carried out in Juma Goth, Sharafi Goth, Mehran Town and Lyari in which seven suspects, including Lyari gangsters and targeted killers, were arrested.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2015