KARACHI: Police on Friday detained Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan leader Khawaja Izhar ul Hasan.
He was handcuffed and taken away by SSP Malir Rao Anwar in an Armoured Personnel Vehicle.
Television footage showed MQM Pakistan chairman Farooq Sattar trying to shove away policemen who dragged away Khawaja Izhar.
Earlier Khawaja Izhar’s residence in Buffer Zone area was raided by policemen in plainclothes.
MQM Pakistan leaders Farooq Sattar and Rehan Hashmi visited his house after the raid.
Speaking to media outside Khawaja Izhar’s residence Farooq Sattar condemned how the parliamentarian was taken away without an arrest warrant. “This is undemocratic behaviour.”
Sattar said no weapons or documents were recovered from his residence. He added that his party was being cornered. “Already our mayor is in prison,” he said.
“Khwaja Izhar was not a proclaimed offender till yesterday? Why is he wanted today?” he said.
He said that neither the Police IG nor the Chief Minister knew about the raid.
Sattar alleged that police had pushed and shoved him despite seeing a cast on his hand, a result of a road accident he had escaped last week.
He added that the party leaders are ready to present themselves for collective arrest to protest the treatment meted out to them.
Khawaja Izhar told reporters that policemen in plain clothes had searched his house. He added only women were present at home and that they were harassed.
The MQM Pakistan leader added that was not at home when the raid was carried out.
He alleged that the policemen belonged to the Counter Terrorism Department.
SSP Malir Rao Anwar confirmed conducting the raid. He said that police conducted an operation in Bufferzone area in search of Raees alias Mama and his accomplice.
He added that the operation was conducted in supervision of Sohrab Goth Police Station SHO. He added that though Khwaja Izhar-ul-Hasan’s house was not specifically targeted, the operation was conducted in his lane.
During interrogation it was found out that two suspects were hiding in a house, he said. “Police did not know at that time that this was Khwaja Izhar-ul-Hasan’s house,” he added
Taking notice of the incident the CM suspended the Sohrab Goth Police Station SHO and SSP Malir Rao Anwar. He also asked Police IG A D Khwaja for a report on the incident.
Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani condemned the attack saying that police should inform the speaker before conducting a raid at any assembly member’s residence. “I came to know about the raid from the media.”
