Alleged killers of slain ANP election candidate arrested
Accused says they killed Khattak so that he would not be a hurdle to their narcotics business.
Khan was arrested after an exchange of gunfire. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Law enforcement agencies claimed on Friday that they had arrested an alleged member of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan who was involved in the murder of Awami National Party’s candidate Sadiq Zaman Khattak, among other murder, drug, gun and explosives smuggling cases.
On May 3, 2013, just a week before the general elections, the ANP’s candidate for NA-254 was stepping out of the Rehmania Mosque in Bilal Colony area of Korangi in Karachi after offering Friday prayers when he and his four-year old son were shot dead. Six people, including Khattak’s 15-year-old son Shahid Sadiq, were also injured in the attack by armed men riding motorcycles.
The arrests were disclosed by the Counter Terrorism and Financial Investigation Wing of the Crime Investigation Department on Friday.
SSP Raja Omer Khattab told The Express Tribune that his team first managed to arrest the accused Kochi Khan after an exchange of fire in Gulshan-e-Sikandarabad in Kemari, however, three of his companions, Ajab Gul, Mushtaq and Jahangir, managed to escape.
SSP Khattab while quoting the initial investigation said that the accused belonging to the TTP and hailed from the Mohmand Agency.
Khan allegedly revealed that he and his companions had been co-opted by the Taliban. He said that they had gone on a robbery when they were ‘arrested’ by the Taliban.
“They (Taliban) asked us to give 30 per cent of the money from the looted booty and money earned from drugs,” Khan told the police interrogation. “We also provided about Rs0.3 million to Taliban from the looted money and money earned from drugs business.”
The accused further told investigators that the Taliban had advised them to kill policemen and their informers before operating drug business in any locality in the area so that the police will never create any hurdles for them. He said that Khattak had also been killed for the same reason.
Law enforcement agencies claimed on Friday that they had arrested an alleged member of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan who was involved in the murder of Awami National Party’s candidate Sadiq Zaman Khattak, among other murder, drug, gun and explosives smuggling cases.
On May 3, 2013, just a week before the general elections, the ANP’s candidate for NA-254 was stepping out of the Rehmania Mosque in Bilal Colony area of Korangi in Karachi after offering Friday prayers when he and his four-year old son were shot dead. Six people, including Khattak’s 15-year-old son Shahid Sadiq, were also injured in the attack by armed men riding motorcycles.
The arrests were disclosed by the Counter Terrorism and Financial Investigation Wing of the Crime Investigation Department on Friday.
SSP Raja Omer Khattab told The Express Tribune that his team first managed to arrest the accused Kochi Khan after an exchange of fire in Gulshan-e-Sikandarabad in Kemari, however, three of his companions, Ajab Gul, Mushtaq and Jahangir, managed to escape.
SSP Khattab while quoting the initial investigation said that the accused belonging to the TTP and hailed from the Mohmand Agency.
Khan allegedly revealed that he and his companions had been co-opted by the Taliban. He said that they had gone on a robbery when they were ‘arrested’ by the Taliban.
“They (Taliban) asked us to give 30 per cent of the money from the looted booty and money earned from drugs,” Khan told the police interrogation. “We also provided about Rs0.3 million to Taliban from the looted money and money earned from drugs business.”
The accused further told investigators that the Taliban had advised them to kill policemen and their informers before operating drug business in any locality in the area so that the police will never create any hurdles for them. He said that Khattak had also been killed for the same reason.