Ahead this time: Police claim they have leads on recent killings

Say there are strong similarities between the killing of Maulana Jalbani and that of two KU students on Nov 29.

KARACHI:

The police now have leads on the recent wave of sectarian killings, announced the District East SSP Pir Muhammad Shah at a press conference on Friday evening at his office.

The police department have gained valuable information on the murder cases of Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen’s leader Allama Deedar Ali Jalbani, who was killed along with his guard on December 3, and the two students of Karachi University, who were killed on November 29.

“There are stark similarities between these two target-killing incidents,” the SSP confided. “We are close to the culprits and will arrest them soon,” he said, adding that the details would be revealed later. Different units of the police, including the Crime Investigation Department and Special Investigation Unit, are also on the cases, he said.

At least 10 suspects allegedly involved in cases of target killings and robberies have been arrested, he said. The suspects are Ahmed Sikander, Malik Arif, Muhammad Iqbal, Jameel alias Jimmy, Nasir alias Bhoora and Suleman alias Billo.

He further claimed to have busted a gang of robbers who, on the first day of Eidul Fitr, robbed Rs4.2 million from a petrol pump in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. “After holding the petrol pump staff hostage at gunpoint, this gang looted cash from the pump,” he said.

“The pump was running as per routine and the robbers were wearing staff uniforms and selling the petrol. They carried out the operation in two hours.” The gang, comprising six members, was also involved in more than 20 cases of robberies and snatching.

Four more suspects including, three target killers, Abdul Aziz Baloch, Ghulam Abbas alias Gogla and Muhammad Ali, and Adnan Akhtar, who were wanted by Aziz Bhatti, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and other police stations were also arrested. SSP Shah said the suspects have been involved in various cases of target killings while weapons were also seized from their possession.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2013.