An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has sent seven men including the Top City owner Kunwar Moeez, who are facing charges of having links with MQM London and keeping explosives, to Adiala Jail on judicial remand till June 21.
The Top City began last month when law enforcement agencies (LEA) carried out a search operation in Chowki Hameedan area on Fateh Jang Road and held the owner of the private housing society along with dozens of private security guards. The LEAs reportedly also recovered a huge cache of weapons from the possession of the detainees during the action.
Soon after in a statement according to a newspaper the Rangers reportedly stated that they detained Kunwar Moeez along with dozens of other guards during an action in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. They said Moeez was linked to MQM Founder Altaf Hussain while many of his guards were involved in criminal activities in Karachi and have been taking refuge in Top City. The statement said that a UK-based woman, Zahida Javed Aslam, had filed an application with Pakistan Rangers in December 2016, accusing Kunwar Moeez of grabbing her land at gunpoint. The Rangers also said Moeez was also involved in cases of firing on local villagers and occupying land illegally. They said Moeez was involved in transferring money, he earned from the society, to Altaf Hussain in London.
As the media picked up the news and the issue was highlighted by various news channels, the Interior Ministry warned the Punjab Rangers of taking back its policing powers if it fails to explain the raid on Top City, clearly suggesting that the Ministry was not in in the loop before the operation.
Whether the allegations under which the Top City owners and others have been arrested are true or not will be decided by the Court. However, its the allottees and the members of the society that have suffered the most. The arrests and the serious nature of allegations have put a question mark over the future of the society and people are worried that their hard earned money could potentially be lost. The relevant authorities need to make sure that whatever happens in the case, those who invested their hard earned money in the society by purchasing plots are not dealt any financial blow due to the case.
The investments of the public must be protected at all costs.