‘One group behind attacks on Deenpuri and Madni’

Law enforcers conclude the same 9mm pistol was used in both incidents.

KARACHI: The Sindh police’s forensic division has reportedly made a breakthrough that a single group of criminals had assassinated the vice-president of Jamia Binoria Uloomia Mufti Abdul Majeed Deenpuri, and were involved in a botched attack on Maulana Hammadullah Madni, leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Samiul Haq group).

One of the three culprits have already been identified through the video footage of the attack on Mufti Deenpuri, while law enforcers are seeking the help of London Police to identify the others.

Mufti Deenpuri was shot dead along with his colleague, Mufti Saleh, and a seminary student, Hassan Ali, on Sharae Faisal near Nursery on January 31. Meanwhile, Maulana Madni survived an attack on his life on January 11, in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 13D-3. Empty bullet casings from both attacks match each other, an official of the forensics department told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity. “We can finally confirm that the 9mm pistol used to attack Maulana Madni [on January 11] was also used to assassinate Mufti Deenpuri [on January 31].” The attack on Mufti Deenpuri was captured by CCTV cameras installed nearby. Police officials sent the footage to London Police’s Photography Forensic Division on February 4, to help them identify the culprits.“The [London police] has advanced software that can magnify pictures without altering their quality,” he explained.

District East Investigations SSP Naveed Khawaja said the police had also traced cellphone numbers, as well. “We need to raid various outlets to try to arrest these suspects now,” said Khawaja.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2013.