SHEIKH LIAQUAT HUSSAIN IS BEING IMPRISONED FOR 90 DAYS UNDER THE INFAMOUS BLACK LAW OF MPO

London - 20 April 2001

Deputy Convenor of the MQM has been detained under the infamous MPO (Maintenance of public order) for 90 days in Karachi Central Jail by an official order issued today.

Mr. Hussain has been arrested from his residence in Khudadad Colony, Shahra-e-Quaideen, Karachi, Pakistan on 19 April 2001, at 1.15 a.m., without any arrest warrant by heavy contingent of law enforcement agencies.  He has been kept unlawfully at Jamsheed Quarter Police Station, Karachi, without producing him before any court of law.

Now the government have issued an order to detain Mr. Hussain at Karachi Central Jail for 90 days under the infamous MPO.  It is noteworthy that Mr. Hussain is not being produced before any court of law after his arrest till date which is not only unconstitutional but a blatant violation of human rights.  Mr. Hussain is 76 years old and a patient of cardiac disease, blood pressure and diabetes.

The convenor of MQM, Dr. Imran Farooq has strongly condemned the detention of Mr. Hussain for 90 days under MPO.  He termed this act of the government as unconstitutional, unlawful and a shameful act of violation of human rights.  He said that the government is using the black laws such as MPO against the leaders of MQM to suppress the struggle for the rights of Sindh.  He appealed to the national and international human rights organisations and the democratic world to raise their voice against the illegal arrest of Mr. Liaquat Hussain, Mr. Hasan Musanna Alvi, Mr. Zafar Rajput and other leaders and workers of MQM.