Troops raid MQM headquarters following attack on Pakistani TV station

Record ID: 89823

  • Title: Troops raid MQM headquarters following attack on Pakistani TV station
  • Date: 23rd August 2016
  • Summary: KARACHI, PAKISTAN (AUGUST 23, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF PARAMILITARY RANGERS TROOPS STANDING IN ALLEY LEADING TO HEADQUARTERS OF MUTTAHIDA QAUMI MOVEMENT (MQM) PARTY RANGERS PERSONNEL PUTTING LADDER INTO VEHICLE VARIOUS OF POLICE MOBILES ENTERING ALLEY TROOPS HOLDING GUNS STANDING RANGERS MOBILE COMING OUT OF ALLEY AFTER COMPLETIN
  • Embargoed: 7th September 2016 04:09
  • Keywords: Protest. raid attack TV station ARY Pakistan police MQM
  • Location: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
  • City: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014WCINNP
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    Paramilitary troops raided the headquarters of a powerful political party in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi and detained several party members throughout the night and early Tuesday (August 23) following the protesters' attack on a Pakistani TV station, a senior Rangers official said.
    Supporters of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) fired shots at the office of a television channel in the afternoon on Monday (August 22) before ransacking the building, police said.
    The protesters belonged to the MQM, senior superintendent of police Saqib Ismail said. He said MQM workers fired shots at the ARY (News) office, ransacked the premises and set fire to a police vehicle.
    Media reported they were angry about a lack of coverage of a hunger strike.
    The Sindh government late on Monday decided to shut down all offices of the MQM. The Rangers and police carried out a search operation for four hours and sealed MQM headquarters, popularly known as Nine Zero, following the raid.
    Rangers recovered weapons from MQM headquarters, said sector commander of Rangers Brigadier Khurram Shehzad. The MQM website was also blocked.
    "During the search, we have recovered some weapons which include few SMGs and two pistols. After its forensic test and study of the anti-state material which we have found, we will bring the facts to the media," Shehzad said.
    Local media said the protesters had rushed to the office of ARY shortly after the MQM leader Altaf Hussain, who lives in exile in London, had criticized Pakistan's media in a telephone address for failing to report on his workers' hunger strikes.
    The MQM has held sway over Karachi and law enforcement agencies for years. Its opponents and many residents have accused the MQM of racketeering, abduction, torture and murder in its bid to maintain power.
    The party denies links to crime and says in fact their group is the target of an ongoing law enforcement crackdown on criminals and militants.
    When MQM arrests are made, other members of the group often go on hunger strikes in front of the city's press club.
    More than fifty workers of MQM were also rounded up from across Karachi, Geo news reported.
    Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called a high level meeting on Tuesday to discuss Karachi situation.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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