The Daily DAWN, Friday July 17, 1998
MQM MNAs flay siege operations
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, July 16: MNAs of the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement have
condemned siege of different
Mohajir settlements in Liaquatabad and uncalled for arrests of
the party workers and sympathisers by
the Rangers.
They said continuation of these siege and search operations in
Mohajir dominated areas indicated that
the state-sponsored operation had formally been launched.
"The field of operation of the Rangers personnel is on the
increase, and siege and arrest of innocent
workers and sympathisers have become a daily routine, they said
in a joint statement.
They said on Thursday a heavy pose of Rangers sieged Korangi
"R" Area and Nasir Colony and
indiscriminately conducted raids and arrested Khalil and many
other MQM workers and sympathisers
and shifted them to some unknown place.
Likewise, they said, the rangers had also sieged the whole area
from Liaquatabad to Gujar Nala on
Thursday evening which continued till late evening during which
many persons were arrested.
They expressed concern over elusive silence of the federal
government and the Sindh chief minister
over increasing actions against MQM workers and siege operations
by the Rangers, along with
Haqiqi terrorists.
The MQM-MNAs said if the federal government and the chief
minister failed to take notice of
situation immediately, they would be justified to consider that
these actions had been carried out with
the support and patronage of the government.
They said that the Rangers and the Police did not see the Haqiqi
terrorists who had let lose a reign of
terror in Malir for three days.
They said the government could not restore peace nor win-over
their hearts of the people by targeting
the innocent.
They urged the Prime Minister and the chief minister to stop
forthwith the on-going siege of Mohajir
settlements and indiscriminate arrests and raids against MQM
workers.
They also demanded their release.