Muharram security: Alleged terrorist was sent to plant bombs across city

Paposh Nagar police claim he was a terrorist from Afghanistan, was part of a terrorist plot planned for Muharram.

KARACHI:

A suspected terrorist, Haseebullah alias Asifullah alias Habibullah, was arrested during snap checking near Ashraf Community Centre on Tuesday. Paposh Nagar police claim he was a terrorist from Afghanistan and was part of a  terrorist plot planned for Muharramul Haram.

According to inspector Asim Siddiqui, the suspect studied at a seminary in Afghanistan and had recently been dispatched by a terrorist outfit to attack the Muharram processions. Haseebullah opened fire at the police as they tried to intercept him during snap checking but was caught. He confessed that he belonged to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan and said that he had initially been ordered to carry out a suicide bombing. When he refused, he was deployed to plant bombs in the city instead.

“He was going to meet members of banned outfits who would have given him the bombs and told him where to plant them,” the officer said. “He would have received Rs15,000 for each bomb planted.” The officer said that this was the suspect’s first mission in Karachi but he has been involved in at least four terrorist attacks in Swabi, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. He would plant bombs and detonate them with remote controls.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2011.