KARACHI: The anti terrorism courts (ATC) remanded about 10 Muttahaida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists to paramilitary rangers custody for 90-days even as the party expressed concerns over the arrests of its workers.

The ATC No. 2 ordered the 90-day remand of the nine MQM workers for alleged involvement in extortion and raising donations forcibly.

The Rangers had arrested at least 16 members of the MQM for allegedly collecting donations by force from the Rizvia Society area.

The party denied the Rangers claim soon after in a press conference.

The law enforcement agency further said they recovered 31,500 rupees (Dh1,137) from the custody of the arrested workers. A large number of receipts and other fund-raising documents were also discovered.

The Rangers in a statement said they would not allow any political party or religious organisation to forcibly collect donations in the name of fitra (alms) and added that holding any press conference in defence of those arrested would be considered an illegal act.

Meanwhile, another ATC remanded Asif Ali, the MQM worker, into the Rangers custody for a week in connection with the murder of Waqas Shah, who was mysteriously killed on March 11.

Shah was gunned down on during the Rangers raid on the MQM headquarters better known as the Nine-Zero. The party accused the Rangers of the murder. However, Ali was caught on camera loading a pistol and in another television footage, Shah was shown lying on the floor after being shot.

Meanwhile, the central coordination committee of the MQM expressed concerns over the rampant arrests of its workers from different parts of Karachi. In a statement, the committee said the Rangers are treating fund-raising and donations as a crime.

The statement further said that Rangers were raiding homes of party workers and arresting them.

The serial arrests, the committee said, were a deplorable attempt to stop the Khidmat-e Khalq Foundation, the MQM charity wing, from doing welfare work.

The party said banned militant outfits and religious groups were freely and openly raising funds by collecting fitra and zakat.