13 LeJ militants in custody 'threaten' CTD officials in Karachi

Members of banned outfit were recently shifted from Sukkur Central Jail back to Karachi Central Jail

KARACHI: Nearly a dozen alleged terrorists, belonging to a banned sectarian outfit, who were arrested, have threatened the investigating officers of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), jail staff and judges of dire consequences.

"It has been learnt through reliable sources that 13 members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), who have recently been shifted from Sukkur Central Jail back to Karachi Central Jail, are constantly threatening judges, jail staff and investigating officers of CTD, including DSP Syed Waqar Ali Shah of the investigation wing, Syed Bazahat Ali of CTD's Sectarian Terrorist Intelligence Group and SI Shoaib Qureshi," read the copy of a letter obtained by The Express Tribune, which was written by a CTD official to his superiors following the threats.

"It is clear that the return of these criminals to Karachi has emboldened them as they are in contact with their networks," read the letter. "Their presence in Karachi also increases the risk of their supporters targeting the CTD officials concerned and jail staff."



The official wrote: "It has come to my notice that these terrorists claimed to have killed the brother of Prisons IG Nusrat Mangan and intimidate jail staff by reminding them of this fact," the official wrote, adding that there has been at least one incident where an anti-terrorism court judge has been abused in open court while reading out a sentence.

The militants who have made the threats include Mehmood Babar alias Durki Shah, Maulvi Saeed Anwar, Akhtar Zaman, Waseem alias Barodi, Hafiz Qasim Rasheed, Azeem Shaikh, Fareedullah, Qari Inayat, Khalid Memon, Tehseen, Shahnawaz alias Shani, Tahir alias Jimmy and Sami alias Mota.

CTD officials claimed that a strategy is being made to deal with the matter.