KARACHI, October 22: The Rangers officials arrested senior leaders of Altaf Hussain-led Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Dr Hassan Zafar Arif and Kunwar Kahlid Younis on Saturday before a scheduled press conference at the Karachi Press Club.According to details, Dr Arif, who had reached the press club in a bid to lead the press conference, was taken away in a Rangers’ mobile to an undisclosed location apparently for investigation.
Television footage showed Dr Arif waiting outside the Karachi Press Club for other party members and supporters when Rangers officials took the member of MQM London Coordination Committee into their custody.
After Dr Arif arrest, Amjadullah Khan another leader of MQM London postponed the press conference which was supposed to be held in Karachi.
Within few minutes, MQM London’s Kunwar Khalid Younis was also apprehended near Governor House when he was on his to the press club to be a part of the same press conference.
According to latest reports, both the MQM London’s leader have been shifted to Mitha Raam Hostel. It was MQM London’s first ever premeditated and formal press conference since the division of the party over anti-Pakistan speech of founder, Altaf Hussain. On October 15, coordination committee of MQM London had objected to the identity of coordination committee in Pakistan, led by Dr Farooq Sattar. Ishaq advocate, Amjadullah and Dr Zafar had denied any difference between the committees representing London and Pakistan chapters of the political organisation.Over 50 different offices of MQM were either sealed or bulldozed by law enforcement agencies as a crackdown was launched following the speech that got the severest backlash to the party in its history. -DNA
