MASS ARREST OF MQM OFFICE BEARERS IN MIRPURKHAS BY POLICE TO HARASS AND PREVENT THE GENERAL PUBLIC FROM TAKING PART IN THE SAVE SINDH -- SAVE PAKISTAN RALLY OF MQM IN KARACHI ON 14 AUGUST 1999

13 August 1999
London

On 13 August 1999, at around 10 p.m., heavy contingent of Police today raided the office of MQM Mirpurkhas Zone and arrested 11 office bearers and workers of MQM. During the raid Mr. Fareed Ahmed, Member of Provincial Assembly belonging to the MQM was also present at the Office. The police, however, did not arrest him and he was threatened to discontinue the campaign of MQM Rally in Mirpurkhas. Those arrested include Fareed Alam, Hafeez, Mushtaq and Saleem, Zonal Members of MQM Mirpurkhas Zone along with MQM workers Abdul Qadir, Fakhr Uddin, Mohammad Ali and Yousuf. All the detainees were badly beaten at the time of arrest and have been taken to unknown destination.

Furthermore, the Administration in Mirpurkhas City, rural Sindh, has threatened all the owners of the public and private transport in Mirpurkhas to ground all their vehicles on 14 August 1999, so that none of the MQM workers and supporters could attend the MQM's "Save Sindh -- Save Pakistan Rally" in Karachi. Moreover, Police have been posted at the Mirpurkhas Railway Station to prevent any one from leaving to Karachi via trains.

It should be recalled that yesterday, a similar raid was conducted at the Zonal Office of MQM in Sukkur, where more than 45 MQM office bearers and workers including Mr. Noor Uddin Jehangir, Zonal Incharge were arrested unlawfully. Also today Mr. Kanwar Khalid Younus MNA and Mr. Ehsan Ullah MPA were harassed in Karachi. They too were threatened to discontinue their campaign for the Rally.

Mass arrest of MQM office bearers and workers are being carried out to harass and sabotage the peaceful campaign of the MQM to hold Save Sindh -- Save Pakistan Rally in Karachi on 14 August 1999, the Independence Day of Pakistan.