Police arrest ‘banned outfit member’

Cops nab suspected robbers after alleged exchange of fire

KARACHI:

The Malir district police claimed on Thursday to have arrested a member of a banned outfit, who planned to attack Saeedabad Police Training Centre, in Steel Town.

According to the police, a pistol and a bomb was seized from the arrested suspect, identified as Khalilullah alias Qari. Malir SSP Irfan Bahadur said Khalilullah had joined the banned outfit in 2007 and went into hiding after the commencement of a military operation in Swat.

The SSP said Khalilullah was trained in Afghanistan and in 2012, he, along with another terrorist, Azam Swati, conducted the reconnaissance of Razzaqabad Police Training Centre, and that of Saeedabad Police Training Centre in 2018, along with Tariq Bhattan. He is also accused of opening fire during a robbery in Orangi Town in 2012, the SSP said, adding that Khalilullah also facilitated the transportation of families of terrorists into and out of the country during 2016.

He and his accomplices were again planning an attack on the training centres and were training a terrorist for the purpose at a house in Orangi Town, according to the SSP. He added that a case against Khalilullah had been registered and an investigation was launched against him.

Also read: Court remands ‘banned outfit militant’

Suspected robbers held

Meanwhile, the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police arrested two suspected robbers after an alleged exchange of fire with them in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Block 7.

Of the suspects, identified as Asif Ali and Babar, the former was injured in firing by the police.

According to the police, two pistols and a motorcycle were seized from the suspects.

East SSP Sajid Sadozai said the suspects were involved in street crime, besides robberies.

He added that they were flagged by a patrolling police party while they were on a motorcycle, but instead of pulling over, they opened fire on police and one of them was injured in retaliatory firing by the cops. The SSP further stated that the suspects donned the police uniform to avoid arrest.

According to SSP Sadozai, Babar is booked in two cases registered at Orangi Town Police Station and the past criminal record of Ali has been sought.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2021.