Karachi: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Sunday blamed the state of trying to destroy the party under the pretext of an ongoing operation against outlaws with workers being punished for their affiliation to the party.

The central coordination committee of the party in a statement said that “it is being said workers were being arrested not because they were involved in any crime but because of their affiliation with MQM.”

The party statement came in response to the paramilitary Rangers handout in which they said that the office bearers of the organizational committee were responsible for running the militant wing in the party which is why they were being rounded up.

“There is no doubt the operation is being undertaken just to eliminate MQM,” the committee said. “They are not being arrested for committing any kind of crime,” it said.

The committee once again commented on its 50 missing activists, who were allegedly picked up by law enforcement agencies in recent months with arrests not registered on official books.

Earlier, the spokesman of the Rangers said the Organisational Committee was the forerunner of the militant wing in the party and the sector. as well as unit chiefs of the committee were arrested in that connection.

He further said several workers voluntarily opted to get arrested and that they were being given legal rights. The party denied the claim.

All the arrested people, the spokesman said, would be presented in courts of law soon.

Faced with multi-pronged crisis, the MQM, which rules the largest city of the country, was engaged in political and legal battles at home and abroad.

Last week a Scotland Yard team arrived at Islamabad to interrogate three suspects in the Dr Imran Farooq murder, the founding leader of MQM who was stabbed to death in London in 2011.

The arrested suspects belonged to the party suggesting the murder might be an inside work.

Altaf Hussain, the MQM chief, who also lives in London for more than two decades was also facing money laundering charges and is on bail till July 9.

The party also came under barbs, when a BBC report alleged that party had connections with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of India.

The party rejected all the accusations calling them an organised attempt to malign and eliminate MQM from the political scene of Pakistan.