MQM has confirmed the late night raid on Pasha’s residence in Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Blessing Heights and condemned the party leader’s arrest.

The family members of Shahid Pasha have said that a heavy contingent of Rangers conducted raid without any search warrants and taken him into custory.

MQM Rabita Committee has condemned the arrest of the Shahid Pasha.

MQM Convener Nadeem Nusrat in a statement has condemned the arrest of Shahid Pasha and said the arrest shows that the Karachi operation has been focused only on the MQM.

Earlier, the party’s senior deputy convener Amir Khan, Qamar Mansoor and Kamal Malik were also arrested, he further said.

Nusrat demanded of the prime minister and the interior minister for immediate release of Shahid Pasha.

Pasha who was made deputy convener of the coordination committee a year ago, believed to be an important figure in the party’s organizational hierarchy. He held a number of key party posts in the past.

Twitter reacts to Shahid Pasha’s arrest

The reaction on Twitter was mostly in favour of the detained MQM Deputy Convener, as enraged supporters trended #ReleaseShahidPasha on the micro-blogging site.

Well done Ranger #ReleaseShahidPasha

— Adil Hussain Shah (@AdilHShah) March 21, 2016

I never support MQM, but this man shahid pasha is no doubt a very kind and clean person, i hope he will release soon #ReleaseShahidPasha — Aamir (@Bankrupt_90) March 21, 2016

#ReleaseShahidPasha and stop state operation against the #MQM pic.twitter.com/pbkdwnHnRe

— SocialMediaCentral (@MQMSMC) March 21, 2016

#MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain strongly condemned arrests of MQM’s Deputy Convener Shahid Pasha.#ReleaseShahidPasha pic.twitter.com/S1GJK0IzFJ — Mustafa Azizabadi (@azizabadi) March 21, 2016

Does he looks like criminal #ReleaseShahidPasha pic.twitter.com/aUjmebwyBZ

— M NAJEEB KHAN (@NAJEEB198) March 21, 2016

Arrest of Shahid Pasha is a message to all those MNA/MPA of #MQM who refused to sell their conscious to join MK #ReleaseShahidPasha — Nehad S. (@smnehad) March 21, 2016

A highly sophisticated gentleman @SSP_90 is arrested while asleep @ his home by #Rangers,total ridiculous #ReleaseShahidPasha @azizabadi

— Dr. Psychologist (@FaredaZeab) March 21, 2016

Dawn: Rangers arrest MQM Deputy Convener Shahid Pasha https://t.co/36nH1KqxNy #ReleaseShahidPasha #MQM pic.twitter.com/wJMY37LpN5 — MQM (@OfficialMqm) March 21, 2016

Peace loving workers and supporters demanding #ReleaseShahidPasha and stop state operation against the #MQM

— Qasim Ali (@QasimalirazaAli) March 21, 2016

It is again a third class or stone age attempt by LEA #ReleaseShahidPasha — Mairajul Haque (@haque146) March 21, 2016

#Karachi Operation is a just a targeted op on #MQM Raids/Arrests are only meant for our party by Rangers @hrw @HRCP_PK #ReleaseShahidPasha

— Wasay Jalil (@WasayJalil) March 21, 2016

And that’s how LEAs will help Kamal and company is setting up their party#ReleaseShahidPasha — Muhammad Rafay Ali (@MRaffayAli) March 20, 2016