The Sindh Rangers on Saturday arrested senior members of Rabita Committee of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) London Dr Hassan Zafar Arif and Kunwar Kahlid Younis minutes before their scheduled press conference at Karachi Press Club. A heavy contingent of Rangers was present outside KPC to arrest MQM-London's leaders. Dr Arif, who had reached KPC with a view to leading a press conference, there he was detained by Rangers from outside the KPC premises and was later shifted to Metha Ram Hostels - Sindh Rangers' Headquarters.
A few minutes later, MQM London's Kunwar Khalid Younis was also apprehended near the Governor's House when he was on his way to the KPC to be a part of their planned press conference. After arrest of two leaders, Amjadullah Khan, another leader of MQM London, who was present inside KPC, postponed the presser. However, he was also detained right after he left the KPC building four hours later According to Sources, Rangers have arrested them to investigate Altaf Hussain's August 22 speech against Pakistan.
Dr Arif is one of the nine Pakistan-based members of the new co-ordination committee constituted by the London-based MQM. He is also a former faculty member of Karachi University's philosophy department. The 12-member interim co-ordination committee was formed by MQM's London-based leadership with a view to regaining the organisational control of the party which it seems to have lost following the August 22 speech of party founder Altaf Hussain.
Dr Arif had recently joined the party along with four other members - Advocate Sathi Ishaq, former president of the National Students Federation Momin Khan Momin, Amjadullah Khan and Advocate Idrees Alvi - of the new co-ordination committee. Talking to media persons, Amjadullah Khan said some lawyers' leaders were scheduled to join MQM at the press conference. "Some senior leaders of lawyers have joined MQM which is why we arranged a press conference for their announcement at KPC. We are peaceful and would always be," Amjadullah said.
In a tweet, MQM London's Wasay Jalil confirmed that co-ordination committee member Kunwar Khalid Younus was also detained by members of the paramilitary force. Last week, MQM-London announced the formation of a new 12-member interim Rabita Committee. The committee comprises Nadeem Ehsaan, Wasay Jalil, Mustafa Azizabadi, Professor Hassan Zafar Arif, Ishaq Advocate, Amjadullah Khan, Kunwar Khalid Younus, Ashraf Noor, Akram Rajpoot, Ismail Sitara, Idrees Alvi Advocate and Momin Khan Momin.