Hyderabad police conducting raids in plainclothes

By our correspondent

HYDERABAD: Amidst changed political scenario of Sindh, the police have been activated with more powers to arrest Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders and supporters and in this connection raids are being conducted in various parts of Hyderabad.

The ironic aspect of the renewed crackdown is that police believe they have been given full freedom as they are conducting raids in plainclothes, while carrying sophisticated official weapons in contravention of the orders of the IGP Sindh for not raiding any place in plainclothes. One such incident was witnessed by a number of shopkeepers and pedestrians when five armed men, riding a yellow cab, on Thursday night entered a small pay card phone shop.

The armed men picked up Abdul Hameed, younger brother of former HMC councillor Abdul Majeed, who too was taken into custody by the police after a strike was observed in Hyderabad against the killing in encounter of Mohammad Sharif in Karachi.

One Lateef Qureshi was also picked from tonga stand Phulleli by the armed men, who did not identify themselves as police, but attempted to took him away, which infuriated the area people, who surrounded the raiding party. However, the leader of the raiding party identified himself as SHO Pinyari police station, SI Qudrat Sher, on which the mob allowed the police to take away Lateef Qureshi.

Police sources told The News that six rooms at the upper floor of the infamous CIA Centre have been vacated from the police officials, with a view to use them as interrogation and detention of picked-up persons. When contacted by The News, CIA officials denied the detention of even a single person, but a police source claimed that there were more than 20 persons detained without any legal authority.

Police are arresting MQM workers and supporters whose names are included in the list of wanted MQM persons, which was prepared by secret agencies in 1994, when the Naseerullah Babar-led operation was at its peak. Meanwhile, the local leaders and workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have been directed to go underground in view of the fresh crackdown on the party.