The Mutthaida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the single-largest party in Pakistan's biggest city here, today claimed that 12 of its workers and supporters had gone missing since last night.
The MQM coordination committee in a statement said that the 12 young men had boarded three vehicles and left for Hyderabad from Gulistan-e-Jauhar to attend a wedding ceremony.
The last contact they made with their families was around 10:30 pm last night, MQM leader Farooq Sattar said.
They included four of our office bearers/workers and the rest were supporters from the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area, he added.
The MQM coordination committee appealed to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to take measures for the early and safe recovery of its men.
The MQM has been claiming that a clean-up operation launched by the paramilitary rangers in Karachi was against its office bearers and supporters who were being victimized.
The Rangers have twice raided the MQM's headquarters in Azizabad and claimed to have arrested target killers and criminals and recovered weapons.
Meanwhile, the relatives of the 12 missing men also staged a sit-in at the city's Gulistan-e-Johar area today.
The protesters including women and children, gathered around noon at Perfume Chowk and blocked traffic, setting fire to tyres.
The MQM which has enjoyed dominance in Karachi and other urban areas of Sindh province for the last two-and-half- decades has come under pressure after the launch of the clean-up operation in Karachi and accusations of taking funds from India and indulging in other criminal activities.
Both India and the MQM have rejected the charges as baseless.
The MQM chief Altaf Hussain, who is in exile in London since 1992, is also facing money laundering charges by UK authorities and the Pakistan government is also cooperating with the London metropolitan police and Scotland yard in the probe into the murder of MQM's senior leader, Imran Farooq in London two years back.
