KARACHI, 7 August — The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has accused the government of harassing and torturing its activists to coerce them into changing their loyalties and switch over to some other political group.
A former senator, Nasreen Jalil, said three party activists Muhammad Naeem, Feroze Khanzada and Iqbal Modi were tortured by police and military intelligence personnel to give up their support for the MQM.
Naeem, a member of the party’s zonal oganizers’ group, went missing on July 21. His mother filed a petition in the Sindh High Court seeking a court order for the recovery of her son. Naeem was not found in any police station but later the military’s intelligence wing, ISI, acknowledged that Naeem was in its custody and was being interrogated.
He was later admitted to Hyderabad Civil Hospital after being tortured. The authorities wanted him to give up support for Altaf Hussain, said Nasreen. She said another activist Feroze Khanzada was abducted from Tando Allahyar and kept in illegal police custody for a month.
Yet another activist, Iqbal Modi, was admitted to hospital for treatment. He was chained and put in fetters there by the police.
A case was brought against him. Police seized his cellular phone and that of his wife. He has now been admitted to the coronary care unit for heart treatment.
Nasreen said the authorities seemed to have launched a new kind of offensive against the MQM with a view to demoralizing its workers.
