Pakistan paramilitary troops raid political party's headquarters

Paramilitary troops in Pakistan' s southern port city of Karachi raided the headquarters of a powerful political group and arrested at least two senior leaders, the Mutahida Qaumi Movement or MQM said on Friday.

A spokesman for the paramilitary force Rangers said the raid was conducted to arrest those who have delivered"hate speeches."

The MQM said head of the group's Coordination Committee, Kahfilwarah, and its member Qamar Mansoor were taken into custody. The Rangers' spokesman confirmed the arrests in a statement.

Dozens of the angry MQM workers rushed to the headquarters and chanted slogans against the raid. They demanded release of the workers.

The MQM exiled leader Altaf Hussain criticized the action and said the group would raise the issue at every level.

Dozens of cases have been registered under anti-terrorism act against Hussaain across Pakistan for "delivering anti-state speeches."

Rangers defended the early morning raid and arrests as part of what they called the efforts to restore peace in Karachi, the commercial hub of the country.

Witnesses said the Rangers blocked all roads to the MQM office to stop the workers reaching there.

The Rangers, in a statement said the MQM leaders Mansoor and Warah were arrested for "arranging and facilitating hate speeches against the peace of Karachi."

The statement said the speeches incited violence against officers and soldiers of Pakistan Rangers in southern Sindh province, a law enforcement agency of the state. "List of such facilitators has been finalized and more arrests will be made in near future," the spokesman said.

The MQM said the Rangers also tried to arrest the MQM senior leader Farooq Sattar and Haider Abbas Rizvi, but they were not present at their homes when their houses were raided Friday morning.

The MQM leader Barrister Saif told reporters that the MQM has not violated the law and is working in line with the laws.