KARACHI: Sindh Rangers on Thursday claimed to have arrested the killer of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) central information committee member Waqas Ali Shah, who was shot dead during the commotion that followed a Rangers raid of the MQM's Nine Zero headquarters earlier on March 11.

Take a look: Rangers raid MQM HQ in Karachi, detain member of Rabita Committee

According to a press release, Rangers carried out an intelligence-based operation in Sindh's Shahdadpur area and arrested accused Asif Ali.

Ali watched the footage of Rangers' raid on MQM's Nine Zero offices on various television channels and reached Nine Zero carrying a pistol along with his wife, said a Rangers news release.

He then started "sloganeering to provoke the Rangers personnel" who were present during the protest that followed the raid, the release goes on to say.

The press release says accused Ali then shot dead MQM office bearer Waqas Ali Shah, who stood behind him, when he saw an opportune moment. Ali and his associates then gathered media personnel near Shah's body and started the propaganda that he was shot dead by the Rangers, it adds.

Ali has confessed that he disposed off the murder weapon (a pistol) in a sewer in Karachi's Yasinabad neighbourhood, says the Rangers press release.

Rangers claim Ali is "affiliated with a political party" and has been involved in illegal practices such as collecting extortion and facilitating the casting of fake votes during the 2013 general election.

On the day Rangers raided Nine Zero, MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil had claimed that senior party office bearer, Waqas Ali Shah of the central information committee, was killed in straight fire by Rangers personnel around 7:45am.

Rangers Director General (DG) Major General Bilal Akbar had at the time said that MQM activist Shah did not die of gunfire by Rangers personnel. He had claimed the young man was shot with a TT pistol, a fact he said would become clear once the medical board's report is received.

Additional Inspector General (IG) Sindh police Ghulam Qadir Thebo, while speaking to DawnNews, had said that Shah was not shot by Rangers personnel, but that the bullet was fired from a hand-held gun.

MQM condemns Rangers' accusation against party worker

MQM's coordination committee acknowledged that Asif Ali, the man arrested by Rangers for the murder of MQM worker Waqas Ali Shah, was a party worker but termed the Rangers' accusation against him "deplorable", said a statement published on the party's official website .

The party recognised Ali as a worker at MQM's Gulistan-i-Jauhar sector.

The MQM maintained that Shah was shot dead due to firing of Rangers personnel.

A heavy contingent of Rangers raided Nine Zero, the headquarters of MQM, in Karachi's Azizabad neighbourhood before dawn on March 11, prompting a protest by party activists and a subsequent call for a day of "peaceful mourning" across the country.

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A number of party workers, including member of MQM's Rabita Committee Amir Khan, were detained during the raid.

Rangers also claimed to have seized ammunition stolen from Nato containers during the search operation at Nine Zero.

Read: Karachi in daze after Rangers’ raid on MQM redoubt