As the crackdown continues on those allegedly involved in attacks on multinational fast food outlets in Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad districts, police have so far detained nearly four dozen suspects.
A court in Mirpurkhas sent 14 suspects to jail on judicial remand and granted four-day physical remand for another 22, in connection with the April 8 assault on a multinational fast food outlet located on the city's outskirts along the Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas Road.
According to Mirpurkhas police, the alleged mastermind of the attack, Talha, son of Kari Barkat, was arrested during a raid in the Ratanabad area. Another top suspect, Tahzeeb Warsi, is also in custody.
"Talha created a WhatsApp group to incite people to attack the restaurant," said a police spokesperson. In total, 37 suspects have been arrested in this case so far. The case was registered on April 9 on the complaint of SHO Town Police Station, Muhammad Kamran Halepoto. Charges include Sections 337, 353, 324, 147, 148, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), along with Sections 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
SSP Mirpurkhas has assigned the investigation to SHO Syed Atif Shah of the Old Mirpurkhas Police Station.
In a separate but similar incident, Hyderabad police on Monday arrested nine individuals for their alleged involvement in the April 11 attack on a famous pizza outlet on Autobahn Road. The incident occurred in the jurisdiction of Hussainabad Police Station.
According to police spokesperson Awais Rajput, CCTV footage was instrumental in identifying the suspects, who were picked up in separate raids. The arrested individuals include Asim, Ayaz, Shahbaz, Shaharyar, Mujtaba, Gul Sher, Zain, another Ayaz, and Owais. Further details of the suspects have not yet been disclosed.
The FIR in that case was lodged by the outlet's manager, Muhammad Junaid Pathan, naming 20 unknown individuals under PPC Sections 506/2, 247, 504, 147, 148, and 149.
Both incidents are believed to have been motivated by anti-Israel sentiment and carried out as acts of solidarity with Palestinians.
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