WIDESPREAD RAIDS AND ARRESTS OF
MOHAJIRS AND MQM WORKERS IN KARACHI BY THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT
16 March 2000
In the wake and aftermath of the clampdown on all political activities, Military Government has launched widespread raids and arrests of Mohajirs in general and MQM workers in particular in most of the neighbourhoods of Karachi. This seems a pre-visit present to the President Bill Clinton, who has been demanding for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan.
The following are the details of the raids and arrests, received so far while waiting for further details:
On 14 March 2000, the personnel of Garden Police Station, Karachi raided the house of Yaqoob, an MQM worker of Unit 35, Burns Road Sector, Karachi. In the absence of Yaqoob, the police personnel ransacked and looted the house and arrested his wife, Ms. Raeesa Yaqoob and his three children. The children names and ages are; Ms. Sadaf, 10years old, Master Shahbaz, 8 years old and Ms. Iqra, 6 years old.
It is pertinent to mention that Yaqoob originally belonged to Mirpurkhas but due to harassment, risk of arrest and extra-judicial execution, he along with his family moved from Mirpurkhas and living in hiding in Karachi for the past five years.
On 16 March 2000, between 2.00 and 3.00 a.m., the personnel of Super Market Police Station, Karachi led by the SHO (Station House Officer) Nasir-ul-Hasan raided the house of an MQM worker of Unit 165, Liaquatabad, Karachi namely Arshad. In the absence of Arshad, the raiding party abused and inhumanly beat the women, men and elderly people. The police threatened the family members to kill them if they failed to produce Arshad.
On 16 March 2000, The personnel of Super Market Police Station, Karachi led by the SHO Nasir-ul-Hassan raided the house of Kashif during a dawn raid. Kashif is an MQM worker of Unit 166, Liaquatabad, Karachi. The police team abused and mercilessly tortured the members of the household and also looted the house. The raiding party also threatened the family members that if they or Arshad collected hide and skins of the sacrificial animals for Khidmat-e-Khlaq Foundation (KKF) a charitable organisation belonging to the Mohajir nation and the MQM, they will be arrested and implicated in cases under blind "FIR" (First Information Report)
On 16 March 2000, the personnel of Super Market Police Station, Karachi again, led by the SHO Nasir-ul-Hasan besieged the house of an MQM worker Zahid Ali Khan who is a worker of MQM unit 157, Federal Capital Area, Liaquatabad, Karachi. One Nissan Sunny, one Hyundai and several police pick-ups were involved in the siege. They plundered the house and threatened to produce Zahid Ali Khan and threatened that they would be fleeced alive if they failed to produce Zahid Khan or collected hide and skins for Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation, a charity belonging to the Mohajir nation and the MQM.
On 16 March 2000, The personnel of police raided the MQM office in Lyari Sector, Karachi during a dawn raid. It was vacant at the time of raid. The police ransacked and looted the office.
According to the eyewitnesses, police teams are patrolling in the areas of MQM Unit 159, Liaquatabad, Karachi. The police patrol is harassing and arresting the passers by and threatening them of dire consequences, if the public donated hide and skins of sacrificial animals to Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF)