Sindh Rangers on Thursday claimed to have arrested the killer of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) central information committee member Waqas Ali Shah, who was shot dead during the commotion that followed a Rangers raid of the MQM’s Nine Zero headquarters on March 11.
According to a press release, Rangers carried out an intelligence-based operation in Sindh’s Shahdadpur area and arrested accused Asif Ali.
Ali watched the footage of Rangers’ raid on MQM’s Nine Zero offices on various television channels and reached Nine Zero with a pistol along with his wife, said a Rangers news release. He then started sloganeering to provoke the Rangers personnel who were present during the protest that followed the raid, the release goes on to say.
The press release says Ali then shot dead MQM office bearer Waqas Ali Shah, who stood behind him, when he saw an opportune moment. Ali and his associates then gathered media personnel near Shah’s body and started the propaganda that he was shot dead by the Rangers, it adds.
Ali has confessed that he disposed off the murder weapon (a pistol) in a sewer in Karachi’s Yasinabad neighbourhood, says the Rangers press release.
Rangers claim Ali is “affiliated with a political party” and has been involved in illegal practices such as collecting extortion and facilitating the casting of fake votes during the 2013 general election.
On the day Rangers raided Nine Zero, MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil had claimed that senior party office bearer, Waqas Ali Shah was killed in straight fire by Rangers personnel around 7:45am.
Rangers Director General (DG) Major General Bilal Akbar had at the time said that MQM activist Shah did not die of gunfire by Rangers personnel. He had claimed the young man was shot with a TT pistol, a fact he said would become clear once the medical board’s report is received.
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