‘Cop-slaying Lyari gangster’ flees abroad

Suspect is allegedly involved in the murder of four people

KARACHI:

The second suspect nominated in the murder of police officers involved in the Arshad Pappu case has reportedly fled abroad. The Arshad Pappu gang has reportedly reorganised and started spreading its terror in Lyari as well as surrounding areas.

Several police officers and personnel involved in the Lyari operation, along with political figures of the area, have restricted their movement, while also managing their security According to police sources, Azan, son of Inayat, the cousin of Arshad Pappu, is allegedly involved in the murder of four persons including former inspectors Javed Baloch and Inspector Chand Khan Niazi.

It has been reported that he has managed to escape to Iran through Balochistan. Due to the alleged negligence of police and law enforcement agencies, the Arshad Pappu group has started mobiliisng once again. Sources said that the Arshad Pappu group is now led by Bilal and Rustam, sons of Arshad Pappu's brother Rashid.

They said that last year, the Arshad Pappu group, seeing a clear field, started establishing its control over Balochmajority residential areas like Lyari, Malir, Jahanabad, Pak Colony and Mauripur. Sources said that Rustam, who led the Arshad Pappu group, was arrested during the Musharraf era in a kidnapping for ransom case.

Rustam, along with his accomplices, had allegedly kidnapped an industrialist's son. The Anti-Violent Crime Cell arrested Rustam and his two accomplices. The court sentenced the accused to 25 years in prison. However, Rustam, posing to be a resident of Balochistan, had gotten himself shifted from Karachi Central Jail to Gadani Jail Balochistan.

From there, he got his sentence reduced and was released two years ago, while two of his accomplices are still serving their sentences at Karachi Central Jail. Bilal and Rustam first organised the groups to establish their terror by shooting dead Inspector Javed Baloch and his cousin Musaddiq, a former employee of the Sindh Secretariat, in the area of Soldier Bazaar No2 on December 31, 2021.

In the murder of Inspector Javed Baloch, observers stated that the police did not make any significant effort to investigate and arrest the suspects, thus raising the spirits of the accused. Therefore, the same suspects also shot dead Inspector Chand Khan Niazi and his associate Abdul Rehman Baloch in broad daylight in front of the people in the Saddar area of Karachi. Officers and other law enforcement agencies took notice of the incidents and intensified efforts to arrest the suspects.

As a result, Alam Baloch, who is the son of Arshad Pappu and accused of the murder of four persons, was arrested. Alam's identity was established with the help of CCTV footage at the time of Chand Khan Niazi's assassination. Alam Baloch came with his fellow motorcyclist Azan.

He first shot and killed Inspector Chand Khan Niazi on a motorcycle. Abdul Rehman Baloch, who was sitting on the back seat of a motorcycle with the slain Chand Khan Niazi, got off the motorcycle and ran to save his life. However, Alam Baloch ran after him and chased him down before mercilessly shooting him dead. He managed to escape while waving his weapon on the motorcycle with Azan.