slates Naeem's arrest
By our correspondent

KARACHI: Deputy Convener Muttahida Qaumi Movement Coordination Committee, Aftab Sheikh, has strongly condemned the arrest of Naeem Siddiqi, Incharge MQM Legal Aid Committee.

This he stated while addressing a hurriedly called press conference at Karachi Press Club on Saturday night. Lashing out at the government, he said: "Naeem is the main man of MQM Legal Aid Committee and now after his arrest it is felt that the government has even taken the rights of Muttahida to defend allegations". He said that the situation was taking a serious turn and the government had now changed its strategy over the arrest of MQM workers all over Sindh.

Aftab claimed that now the workers were arrested and lured for having status in PML (N), besides removing their names from FIRs. He further said that mass scale raids and arrests of party workers were being carried out in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and other parts of Sindh.

He claimed that a fresh state oppression and use of power against Muttahida has been started, adding: "Muttahida feels that this crackdown has been launched against Muttahida to sabotage the August 9 procession. He appealed to President, COAS and Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of these raids and arrests.