Will arrest founder of MQM if he comes to Pakistan: DG Rangers Sindh

LAHORE: Director General Rangers Sindh Major General Muhammed Saeed on Monday said the law enforcement agencies would arrest the founder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), if he came to Pakistan, ARY News reported.

“He can definitely come and face court trial here. If he will come to Pakistan, police or rangers will arrest him as per the law in the cases he is wanted,” he said while talking to host of ARY News program ‘Off the Record’.

To a query, he said he did not know as to why MQM-Pakistan leader Haider Abbas Rizvi went back to London after a brief stay of one day in Karachi. “We have nothing to do with this. Only he can tell why he came and went back.”

Shedding light on launch of the Karachi Operation, he said it was decided after nexus between politics and felonies came to light. “It was only then, in 2013, that leadership of the operation asked us to eradicate crimes from Karachi.”

He said by then the incidents of target killing and money extortion were rampant across the length and breadth of the city in connivance with members of different political parties.

Read More: Haider Abbas Rizvi leaves for Canada after a day-long visit to Karachi

To a query, he said around 21,000 people were killed from 1985 to 1995 and from 1985 to 2013 aggregately about 92,000 people were killed in target killing. He said seven incidents of terrorism were carried out every month on an average in Karachi and security personnel including policemen were also targeted in target killing, hand grenade and bomb blast attacks.

The DG Rangers said if the powers, that were given to Rangers in 2013, would have been given in 1992 the situation of Karachi would have been different.

“Over 11,088 people have been arrested in 14,800 raids since September 2013. Even in 2017 and 2018 thousands of people were arrested. Tons of people have fled abroad since launch of the operation in Karachi,” he said.

He said in 2017 and 2018 nobody was killed in a terrorism act in the megalopolis, as there has been reduction of heinous crimes over the years.

Kids abduction in Karachi

Saeed said only two cases of abduction of children in the city could not be resolved so far this year.

He said in 2017, 30 incidents of kidnapping for ransom took place and all abductees were recovered.

“We are looking into the propaganda being carried out on social media regarding kidnappings of children,” he said.

The DG Rangers said posting of the paramilitary force in the city was not an unusual thing, it happened in different parts of the world. Police in London have four offices and 60,000 personnel so, viewing the rate of crimes, would 14,000 police personnel be adequate for the metropolitan city, he asked.

He said 50 percent of criminal elements in Karachi were drug addicts and 80 percent were those who were either completely illiterate or could not pursue academic studies after matric.

Saeed said in high-profile cases raid was led by police and Rangers escorted them during their operation.

To a question, he said notorious gangster Uzair Baloch was in their custody when he was arrested. Now his case was in military courts and only relevant authorities could tell about his whereabouts, he said.

He said Zubair Charya and Rehman Bhola were in jail in Baldia factory fire case. At least 171 culprits belonging to the MQM-London had been punished since 2013, he said.