Terrorist activities: Alleged RAW agents remanded to police custody

The arrest of the four suspects was disclosed at a press conference on Thursday

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court remanded on Friday four suspects allegedly affiliated with Indian spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to police custody on a two-week physical remand.

The suspects, Abdul Jabbar alias Zafar Tension, Mohsin Khan alias Kashif, Shafiq alias Pappu and Khalid Aman alias Anna, were presented by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Sindh Police before the ATC-I judge, Bashir Ahmed Khoso, amid tight security.

The investigation officer told the judge that the suspects were involved in anti-state activities, such as targeted killings, bomb blasts and other terrorist activities to instigate unrest in the city.

The papers submitted to the court read that the suspects were dangerous militants trained by RAW to carry out terrorist activities in country, in order to destabilise it.

A day earlier, when the arrests were disclosed by the CTD at a press conference, SSP Naveed Khawaja had told media that the suspects had obtained militant training in various cities of India, between 1995 and 2002.

The suspects were also quoted revealing the plot behind various attacks in the city. The suspects, according to the police, claimed that they planted six improvised explosive devices in Orangi Town area to carry out a series of bombings in July 2008. At least 50 people, including law enforcers, were wounded in the low-intensity bomb blasts.

According to the police, the evidence seized from the suspects' possession suggests that they, in collusion with their absconding accomplices, were planning a major terror activity in Karachi during Muharram.

Earlier in May, two other suspects allegedly affiliated with the same spy agency were also arrested. The then SSP Malir, Rao Anwar, had linked them to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). This time, however, no such affiliation has been made public, but the absconders who include Javed Lauqra and Rais Mama, are said to be belonging to the same party. Moreover, there are reports of their plans to assassinate Afaq Ahmed, chief of the Muhajir Qaumi Movement - Haqiqi.

The ATC judge, after listening to the police, sent the suspects to police custody on a 14-day physical remand, directing the investigators to bring a progress report on next hearing of the case.

They have been charged with attacking law enforcers, attempted murder and hatching a criminal conspiracy against the sovereignty of the state under the anti-terror law so far, as investigators say more cases will be brought up against them following the collection of substantial evidence.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2015.