Handcuffed: 5 political activists held as target killing suspects

Police also seized rifles and pistols from the arrested accused.

KARACHI: The Sindh Police Crime Investigation Department’s Anti-Extremism Cell (AEC) claims to have arrested five political activists who were allegedly involved in over a dozen target killing cases.

The AEC officials said that they had managed to arrest the suspects on a tip-off from two earlier raids in Pak Colony and Baldia Town.

AEC chief SSP Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Khan told The Express Tribune that three target killers identified as Imran alias Billa, Ali Akbar alias Shahid and Abid alias Mota were arrested from Pak Colony while the other two, Ali Ahmed alias Ganja and Imran were caught in Baldia Town.

He did not mention any party affiliation but said that the men worked for rivals. SSP Aslam added that in the initial interrogation, they had confessed to killing at least 17 political workers and said that they were also involved in over a dozen robberies.

Billa, Shahid and Mota had confessed to killing 12 Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers, six in Orangi Town at an estate agency in April 2011 and six others, including Atiqur Rehman and Ajmal alias Lalu in Mehmoodabad and Shah Faisal Colony.

The suspects arrested in Baldia Town confessed to killing five Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi people, including Irfan, Imran alias Mamu, Naeem alias Machera in Brigade and Baldia Town.

Malir

The Rangers conducted a targeted operation in Jinnah Square and Liaquat Square, Malir. While the operation was going on no one was allowed to enter or exit the vicinity. Female Rangers also participated in the operation. Sources claimed that at least seven suspects, including a man named Shahbaz, were taken into custody and were shifted to an undisclosed location for further interrogation. They added that the authorities had seized weapons from him.

Lyari

A raid was also conducted in Lyari and old city areas by the Rangers and over a dozen suspects were held from Bihar Colony, Afshani Gali, Al-Falah road, Dubai Chowk, Salar Compound and Bheem Pura. Lyari gangster Baba Ladla’s brother Rashid, his accomplice Mama Yasin and Akram Baloch’s nephew Sameer were reportedly among the suspects detained but no official confirmed this.

Former People’s Amn Committee president Zafar Baloch said that he had no information about the raids in Lyari and could not confirm the detention of Rashid, Mama Yasin or Sameer. He added that they were collecting details on what had happened.

Hands up

Raids were also conducted in Muslimabad, Sherpao Colony, Qasba Colony, Aligarh Colony, Banaras, Pakistan Bazaar, Gulshan-e-Jamal, Natha Khan Goth, Falak Naz Apartment, Ahsanabad, North Nazimabad, Mehmoodabad, New Karachi and Baldia town’s Daud Goth. The Rangers took several suspects into custody and seized a lot of weapons. The suspects detained by the Rangers included political workers and gangsters. They were taken to an undisclosed location for further investigation.

The Rangers spokesperson told The Express Tribune that the targeted operation was conducted in Malir whereas raids conducted in 16 different areas. He added that 39 suspects had been detained out of which 17 people were released after the initial interrogation. The spokesperson said that they had seized 38 weapons including Kalashnikovs, repeaters, shotguns and pistols.

A heavy contingent of police conducted a raid near Sindhi Hotel in Liaquatabad and arrested two suspects and seized weapons from them. The men were not identified and were taken away for interrogation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2011.