Rangers in Karachi carrying out an operation in the city. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
Qari Abdul Hayee, alias Asadullah, was allegedly involved in the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl. He was arrested in 2003 from Multan over his suspected involvement in planning and carrying out the kidnapping and murder of Pearl.
Hayee is also wanted in several other criminal cases, including helping his accomplice, Riaz Basra, in escaping from the Lahore sessions court in 1994.
Rangers shifted him to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
Targeted operations were initiated in sensitive areas of Karachi after two bomb blasts –in Quetta and Karachi – targeted the minority Shia community killing more than 190 people.
The LeJ had claimed responsibility for the Quetta blast and had threatened to exterminate all Shias.
Following the attack, LeJ leader Malik Ishaq and his son Malik Muhammad Usman were detained for a month. Several other members of the banned outfit were also arrested during separate raids.
Qari Abdul Hayee’s past
A black warrant had been issued in January, 1994 against Hayee for his involvement in the Shehr Sultan killings. Police investigations showed that Hayee had thrown grenades on a Shia mosque in Sher Sultan and resorted to indiscriminate fire along with his two accomplices in the attack. About half a dozen people died and Sher Sultan police registered a case against the accused.
At one point, his capture carried a bounty amounting to Rs2 million.
Hayee was arrested and had been awarded the death sentence by the Dera Ghazi Khan anti-terrorism court on six counts for killing six people in the Shehr Sultan attack.
Hayee was also a close aide of Riaz Basra, the founder of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and had reportedly met Taliban chief Mullah Omar once in Afghanistan during his years-long stay there.
The accused had helped LeJ in militant training in Afghanistan and allegedly trained hundreds of terrorists. He is considered a specialist in bomb manufacturing and had shifted from Afghanistan to Karachi after the fall of the Afghan Taliban in 2002.
After internal differences arose in the LeJ, Qari formed his own Qari Asad group. He was also Imam at Jamia Siddiq Akbar mosque, forming a strong base in Karachi.
He also formed a party Karawan Muhammad during the period of 1993-94.
COMMENTS (25)
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"He was arrested in 2003 from Multan" What about his aides in Multan and Punjab?
"Following the attack, LeJ leader Malik Ishaq and his son Malik Muhammad Usman were detained for a month." why For a month?
"The LeJ had claimed responsibility for the Quetta blast and had threatened to exterminate all Shias." One should think how this mentality(to exterminate all Shias) could be defeated?
My suggestion is that the extremists and terrorists should not be dealt softly, they should not be allowed to set free due to flawed investigation and prosecution.
Good job done by Rangers.
I hope he will not be released again and again. If it happens like this, then what is the use of arresting him again when he was roaming freely and conducting terrorist activities.
Shia are almost 30% of the country. Some people are scared of a census.
@benazeer abbas: On line #8 words ” minority Shia community ” we’re used. So now we are also minority ( non-Muslims)
The earlier you realize it, the better it will be for you.
rangers and police have suddenly come into action right after the army chief made a sudden visit to karachi after the abbas town incident. just goes to show everyone knew where these guys were hiding and just turning a blind eye
Somehow I find it hard to believe that the PPP, MQM or ANP were harbouring these LeJ terrorists. Most likely his erstwhile protectors find it now useful to detain them to reflect badly on Sindh's useless and largely corrupt politicians just before the elections. My only wish is that we have investigative journalists to properly inform us as to why people tried and sentenced to death for mulitple cold blooded murders were walking free. To my mind there is only one power in the country that can allow this to happen.
@Jat
Rubbish - the author and Editor need to do a better job and at least point out the obvious discrepancy - article is poorly written.
Whether this news item is edited by a tenth class failed student. There are more dash dash dash than the subject matter. A black warrant issued during 1994, and after 18 years he was taken into custody. Whether the witnesses are still alive to depose. Non-stop nonsense. dear ET don't take the readers for a ride like our police and judiciary.
On line #8 words " minority Shia community " we're used. So now we are also minority ( non-Muslims). Thank you.
Just imagine the sanity of the people who have been saying prayers behind such a devil.
Hayee was arrested and had been awarded the death sentence by the Dera Ghazi Khan anti-terrorism court on six counts for killing six people in the Shehr Sultan attack. . The term "arrested" usually indicates you have captured someone - if that were the case then what was he doing on the street? - perhaps he was tried and sentenced in absentia?
@Still: No where in the story is it mentioned that if he was sentences to death and arrested how come he was living in Karachi.
Dont blame ET, ask this question from the ESTABLISHMENT. He was living in Karachi the same way Osama Bin Laden was living in Abbotabad, Mullah Omar and his followers are living in Quetta, Haqqanis are living in N Waziristan, Dawood Ibrahim is living in Karachi, Hafiz Saeed somewhere in Punjab.
And one should also question Rehman Malik and all the so-called defense analysts who blame everything on RAW and foreign hand.
Half baked report put together in 30 seconds with patchy facts. Like a strip tease artist, conceals more than what it reveals.
look the titles "qari" "Imama" and the activities he was involved. i am completely lost.
WIth such a terrible records this man has escaped punishment despite death penality.Criminals in the guise of imam ,qari,spreading terror in the name rehmatu-alimin.Do they need second thougt from state, which have thrown innocent citizens before these worst beasts looking only tamasha.One who will eliminate these terrorist and their sympathysres will be the the greatest hero of this nation.
No where in the story is it mentioned that if he was sentences to death and arrested how come he was living in Karachi.
Why arrest, when courts are going to release them anyways?
ET reporting is incomplete and leaves obvious questions open...for example: he was arrested in 2003. Today he is arrested again. What happened in-between ? Did he escape detention..? was he set free by courts ?
Arrested in 2003 and also awarded death sentence.................Where in the report does it say why and when he was released after the death sentence? The usual mediocre reporting standards of the Tribune as always.
@Patriotic Paki: You are right. They don't have to look over their shoulders for political pressure. Even a corrupt and inefficient police force can do wonders if given a free hand.
Hopefuly the Rangers won't release him after a month
these terrorists are lords of the jail and who is going to make sure that they arent going to be freed by honorable courts ?
This shows that Police and Rangers can perform well when there is no political presurre. Above news coupled with that of Arshad Pappu tells that someones behind terrorists are no more in power corridors
If he was arrested in 2003 then why was he walking around free, even being the imam of the Jamia Siddiq Akbar mosque
Looks like the police has found a new life........after 5 years of poltical pressure they are back on track to sweep things up quickly....thumbs up Karachi police and Rangers