News
Friday, September 09, 2011
Hundreds rounded up in Karachi raids* 14 political workers, former town nazim among 330 detained
* 2,000 security personnel participated in search operation
* Residents stage protest against LEAs
By Atif Raza
KARACHI: Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) on Thursday detained some 330 suspects, including 14 political workers, two target killers, two extortionists and a former town nazim Baldia during search operation at different parts of the metropolis.
Sources said over 2,000 Rangers personnel along with policemen and sniffer dogs participated in the operation at different parts of the city, including Al-Rahim Apartment, Pehalwan Goth, Yousuf Plaza, FB Area, Baldia Town, Saeedabad, Rangar Mohalla, Banaras, Sohrab Goth and New Karachi.
They said the law enforcers besieged that areas and started house-to-house search from Al-Rahim Apartment since late Wednesday night and later extended to other aforementioned areas of the city.
The sources said the suspects, who were stated to be extortionists, drug peddlers, target killers and other criminals, were shifted to unknown place for interrogation.
The sources said the LEAs had detained seven political workers from Pehalwan Goth and recovered a huge cache of heavy arms and ammunitions from their possession. Some six persons, including two political workers, were also taken into custody from Yousuf Plaza in block 16 of FB Area.
Following the search operation at Yousuf Plaza, scores of residents came out of homes and staged a sit-in at adjacent arteries to express resentment against the operation. The protesters chanted slogans against the LEAs and said the law enforcers had detained innocent people during the operation.
They said: “On one hand, our beloved ones are being killed in the city while on other hand, the LEAs instead of arresting wrongdoers, have nabbed innocent people.” They said that Rangers had even seized a licenced rifle and pistols from their possession besides booking even a policeman, Imran alias Immi. They said that there was no any torture cell and criminal at the plaza.
However, a Rangers spokesman, Major Zaman, has denied these allegations and said Rangers personnel had strictly been directed to behave citizens like gentlemen. Eyewitness said Rangers personnel beat up arrested persons, put cloth on their faces and also used abusive language against them.
The operation was also conducted at different vicinities of Baldia and Saeedabad where the LEAs claimed arresting some 300 suspects, including a former Town Nazim Baldia Kamran Akhtar.
The sources said the law enforcers also recovered weapons, including 28 kalashnikovs, 18 pistols, 40 TT pistols, nine snatched bikes and some 3,000 rounds from their possession.
Eyewitnesses said those areas were fully besieged by the LEAs and the detained people, who were blindfolded and handcuffed, were gathered at an open place and then shifted to unknown place.
They said the entry and the exit points of the areas were cordoned off and no one was allowed to go in and out during the operation.
Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Baldia staged a protest demonstration against the search operation outside the camp of Sachal Rangers 60 Wing in Baldia Town.
The sources said the Rangers had arrested two target killers, Kamran Lamba and Imran belonging to a religious party from sector 5 A, New Karachi and recovered two kalashnikovs, two 9MM pistol and 300 rounds from them. Similarly, five more political workers were taken into custody along with heavy weapons during search operation in Banaras. Rizvia police claimed to have arrested two extortionists, Salman and Rehan, who were stated to be the workers of a religious party. They also recovered weapons from their possession.
The LEAs were also conducting search operation at Indus Plaza, Sohrab Goth from where some five persons were taken into custody till filing of this report.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk