The big fish: After chalking up 252 killings, Dada and Gullu arrested

Zakir Hussain operated 20 target killing rings, each with 22 to 25 members.

KARACHI: The arrest of a target killing suspect, allegedly involved in the murder of 252 people, was announced by the Clifton police on Sunday.

Zakir Hussain, alias Adeel Agha - Agha Hussian -Yasir Dada, and Gul Mohammad, alias Gullu were arrested while four others managed to escape. Two Kalashnikovs, two 8mm rifles, two 9mm pistols, two TT pistols, a laptop and a motorcycle were also seized from the men.

“We have been tailing them for quite a while but could not catch them,” SHO Shafiq Tanoli told The Express Tribune. “But there is another man, who has over 1,000 murders on his hands. We are trying to catch him as well.”  According to Tanoli, the men also killed many police officers including DSP Nawaz Ranjha, DSP Raheem Bangash, inspector Nasirul Hassan and  carried out attacks on police stations.

Sources privy to the matter told The Express Tribune that the intelligence wing of Pakistan Rangers traced his emails and arrested him on October 15 from Buffer Zone.

However, SHO Tanoli initially said that Hussain and his aide were picked up near the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi. But when he was told about the arrest made on October 15, he said that Hussain was arrested from North Nazimabad three days ago.  The suspects were shown to the media with their faces covered.  “Interrogation is under way,” said Tanoli. “It will take a couple of days to prepare the interrogation list. It is possible that the number of killings will be higher than 252.”

According to him, Ajmal Pahari, Javed Bunda and Shakir’s groups also worked under Hussain. Hussain operated 20 target killing groups, each with 22 to 25 members. Hussain gave instructions to hit men in Karachi via emails and telephones.

However, Hussain and Mohammad’s names were not in the list of suspects presented to the Supreme Court during the suo motu hearings. The arrest broke the previous record of highest number of target killings held by Ajmal Pahari, said be involved in over 110 murders. He was arrested on March 27 and is in Karachi’s Central Jail.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2011.