950823

Passports seized

FIA offloads

MQM leaders

from PIA plane

KARACHI: Sheikh Liaquat Hussain, a prominent member of MQM negotiating team and Khalid Bin Walid were disembarked by FIA Inspector Gul Sher while leaving for Saudi Arabia to perform umera on Tuesday.

These two MQM leaders had been cleared by the officials of the Immigration Department. Their passports were also seized.

Sheikh Liaquat Hussain lodged strong protest with FIA officials for off-loading them from PIA plane PK 241.

The FIA officials, however, allowed Liaquat Shaikh to go home, but arrested Khalid Bin Walid, who was looking after social welfare work at MQM Headquarter 90.

The official did not return passport of Liaquat Hussain and said he has orders from high ups.

Khalid Bin Walid is stated to be in the custody of FIA, but his whereabouts had not been disclosed.

It may be recalled here that some unknown elements had opened fire on Liaquat Hussain at Gharibabad in the morning. Another MQM MPA Qazi Khalid, Advocate and member of negotiating team was also fired upon at Peeli Bhit, Liaquatabad. He also narrowly escaped but his car is reported to have sustained damage on Tuesday.

Sheikh Liaquat Hussain, member of MQM negotiating team, has demanded of the Director General FIA (Immigration Cell) to arrange return of his passport immediately and publish a written clarification in the newspapers.

In a letter to Director General FIA (Immigration) Islamabad, a copy of which faxed to PPI, Sheikh Liaquat also demanded punishment for the concerned immigration staff of Quaid-e-Azam International Airport Jinnah Terminal who, according to Liaquat, 'had mentally tortured him' and stopped him from proceeding to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and confiscated his passport.

The MQM negotiator otherwise threatened to institute legal proceedings against FIA Immigration and the concerned staff who, according to him, was involved in the illegal and unauthorised actions and to claim for the damages to his reputation.

Addressing the DG, Sheikh Liaquat said that the Immigration staff of Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Jinnah Terminal Karachi, had illegally and unauthorisely stopped him for going to Saudi Arabia by PIA flight No PK-241 for performing Umera on Tuesday night without assigning any reason and confiscated his passport bearing valid visas to Saudi Arabia, UK and Iran.

He further said that the Immigration staff detained him at the airport for more than two hours and did not allow even to use telephone and when he asked to give him recpiet off his passport the Immigration staff refused to do so.-PPI