Dead MQM worker tortured: Autopsy report

A post-mortem report of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) worker Aftab Ahmed Hussain, who died in paramilitary Rangers custody on Tuesday, said that he was subject to torture 'before his death' with around '35 to 40 per cent' of his body bearing bruises.

A 90-minute-long autopsy, performed by senior doctors at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre under the supervision of a judicial magistrate, found multiple bruises on Ahmed's body, reports the Express Tribune.

Aftab died within 48 hours of his detention by the paramilitary force.

He was reportedly picked up from his residence on Sunday and presented in an anti-terrorism court on Monday.

While the Rangers said that Aftab died of cardiac arrest, the MQM allege that he was tortured during interrogation which led to his death.

Aftab, 42, working as Sattar's coordinator since 2002 was detained by the Rangers in a raid in Karachi's Federal B area. He was later shifted to the Mitha Ram Hostel, a declared sub-jail where the paramilitary force interrogates suspected criminals and terrorists.

General Raheel Sharif and the Sindh Rangers had called for an inquiry into his death and said justice must be done.

The post mortem report noted that bruises, overlapping each other, were found on his head, chest, arms, buttocks, thighs, legs and feet while the nail on his left foot's big toe was also damaged.

However, the report did not list the actual cause of Hussain's death but confirmed that the torture marks the body bears were definitely inflicted 'ante-mortem', that is he suffered them when he was still alive.

One of the doctors who conducted the autopsy said that they will have to carry out a chemical examination report to ascertain the exact cause of his death.

Meanwhile, MQM leader Dr. Farooq Sattar said that the autopsy proves that their party colleague was tortured prior to his death.

Sattar demanded action against those officers responsible for torturing Aftab, and said that they hoped the army chief would also take note of its 65 'missing' party workers who are in the custody of law enforcement agencies but have not been produced in courts.