Off course they do, and Pakistan's LEA are not the exception, this is common in other countries too. The interest of the State is of the utmost importance, and Pakistan's LEA's that are the supreme guardians of the State engage in these activities if they have to, for the interests of the State. Other Agencies engage in similiar activities whether its the US, Israel, India, UK, France Etc. Its only the State that has this right, not Armed Militant Wings or in MQM's Case, its Terrorist Militant Wing. MQM is part of the political process, they need to bring forward resolutions and raise this issue in the Parliament or the Provincial Assemblies.
This is a grey area and could potentially be a pitfall. The men who serve in the Military too are human after all and so susceptible to earthly desires and riches. By all means I agree that the interests of the state are above interests of everyone else but interests of certain political or military elite should not be confused as interests of the state.
You say that MQM has a terrorist wing, it may well have it but where exactly is that terrorist wing when Rangers assault MQM head office again and again and take into custody hundreds of MQM workers and supporters? Where are those terrorists when Rangers and Police personnel pick up MQM supporters by the thousands? On the other hand, in interior Sindh, the same fearless rangers and Police are beaten back by PPP supporters on multiple occasions denying them arrests. We all witnessed the saga of Chotu gang in Punjab and many many other, similar cases. All I can say is if MQM had a militant wing, we would have seen militant activities and trust me, urban warfare is any LEA's nightmare.
MQM, other political and Human Right NGO's etc., have brought the high handedness and outright blatant violations of the law by LEA's on multiple occasions, the result has been ZERO. When Musharraf declared martial law, his act could potentially be considered justified due to conditions of the time even though he broke the constitution. Not debating on whether his act was right or wrong, can he be held accountable and punished for breaking the law? What I mean is that certain personnel and agencies are just beyond the reach of justice and some of their actions may be unjustified.
You're just being an apologist now, the Taliban Apologists offer the same explanation. The only difference is MQM Terrorists wear Jeans and TTP Terrorists wear Shalwar Kameez. PML-N, PPP(Only Recently with Lyari Gang but Disbanded Now) and PTI do not have Terrorist Wings. I am the biggest critic of PML-N, and i have lived all of my life in Lahore, but i don't have PML-N workers coming over to my House and asking for Bhatta.
And I can guarantee that no MQM worker has ever gone to anyone's house in Karachi to collect bhatta either. Banned organizations, TTP and Liyari gangs were more involved in bhatta, from businesses, then anyone associated with MQM.
I fail to see how Bhatta Khori, Target Killing, Kidnapping, Extortion, China Cutting, Land Grabbing, Taking Money from RAW amounts to 'Defending Itself' for MQM. There is absolutely no justification for these acts that MQM has committed, and even the most hardcore MQM Activists admit that there is no excuse for MQM's Militant Wing.
Elements within MQM may have indulged in bhatta khori (from businesses), target killing (of other target killers), kidnappings, extortion, china cutting and perhaps even street crimes, but I can never accept the propaganda that MQM has ever been on the payroll of RAW. That is such an absurd claim that the one who says it must be taken to court.
The authorities have already provided the environment for MQM. They have made it clear, give up your militant activities and engage only in political activities. The Rangers are not demanding, they are telling them. If they don't comply, the Rangers will bring the Cavalry on MQM and we have already seen the Might of Rangers as they have largely demolished MQM's Militant Wing and send these terrorists packing back to India or Abroad. There is only one option for MQM, and that is give up its Terrorist Activities or the Rangers will come over and dismantle it themselves. There is no room for negotiation and compromise, the Interests of the State trumps everything and everyone.
As I said above, any urban warfare would have left the city devastated. MQM never had any terrorists and the most important fact is that the operation was announced 3 months in advance of its starting date. It was also clearly stated that the operation would start after 3 months of announcement, this move was to allow the actual criminals to run out of Karachi so that an operation could be launched against MQM......as people who belong to MQM are Karachiites and have nowhere else to go to.