Eyewitnesses identify suspects of ARY News office attack

The suspects were presented before the Judicial Magistrate at a local courts, where 26 suspect attackers were identified by eye witnesses.

They are accused of creating chaos and anarchy outside the Karachi Press Club and attacking the offices of ARY News after listening to a provocative speech of the chief of Mutahida Quami Movement (MQM).

READ MORE: MQM activists attacked ARY News office under a plan: DG Rangers

Yesterday, Director General Sindh Rangers Maj-Gen. Bilal Akbar said that the attack on ARY News office was pre-planned and carried out by the unit and sector offices of the MQM.

He said that the rogue activists were assisted by two officials working in a nearby bank where were asked to assist other attackers.  He said that a man identified as Javed Shaukat brought out attackers from the bank to attack ARY office.

Previously, six women activists of the MQM were also arrested on Saturday after being identified from CCTV footage. They were presented in a local court which issued a four-day remand.

The Rangers have said that further investigations are still underway. The chief attacker Asif Siddiqui who is a union councilor chairman from Ranchore Line has already been  arrested.

The MQM is in unchartered water ever since the controversial and inflammatory speech which raised anti-Pakistan slogans. The speech prompted a political as the government mulls a ban of the MQM, while its has sent a reference to the United Kingdom.

The MQM has chosen to disassociate itself from its London-based chief as its tries to weigh it the political repercussions and control the damage from the onslaught of the speech.