NADRA help sought to identify Karak temple attackers

Police conducting raids to apprehend 300 accused named in the FIR

The police authorities in Karak has requested the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to help establish the identity of the people visible in the temple attack videos collected by investigation teams.

“We have sought the help of NADRA to arrest all the accused involved in the incident and we are also mobilising human intelligence teams as approximately 300 people have been charged in the FIR,” said DIG Kohat Tayyab Hafiz Cheema while speaking to The Express Tribune, adding that around 109 suspects had already been arrested and efforts are being made to apprehend the rest.

On the other hand, a local namely Abdul Shah has also been arrested by police. He is the man who moved the the local court against the renovation and extension of the temple two months ago.

Local residents informed that in order to expand the building, the Hindu community collected money and started paying triple the market price for the houses and shops located adjacent to it.

“Abdullah Shah is a local resident who is an opportunist in nature. He witnessed the entire process and then purchased two shops in order to resell it to the Hindu community and make some money,” they claimed. “By that time the Hindu community had largely acquired the land for the temple and despite Abdullah Shah’s best efforts, they refused to buy more of it.”

This prompted Shah to play the religious card and he moved the civil court against the renovation and extension plan because his financial stakes were directly involved.

“Another local cleric Faizullah is also one of the masterminds of the attack. It is said that he was a Khateeb in Pakistan Air Force (PAF) but during the Musharraf government he was court martialled and arrested,” the locals added. “Then he came to Terri village and started working as a cleric and joined JUI-F too.”

Sources familiar with the incident said Faizullah is well known for his hawkish stance on all religious matters and because of this he lost his government job in the past.

“Faizullah has been on the run ever since the attack and police has been conducting raid to apprehend him,” DPO Karak Irfanullah Marwat said, adding that Abdullah has already been arrested by police.

0On the other hand, locals also claimed that other clerics were instigating hatred and openly threatening an attack at the Hindu temple. Police, however, refuted any such reports.

“We have no report of any hate speech by a local cleric,” said DIG Cheema.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2021.