Chaudhry Aslam murder: Investigation of attack transferred to CID

Police say CID can better investigate because it's a high profile case with sections of anti-terrorism act in it.

KARACHI: Investigation of the suicide attack on Superintendent of Police (SP) Crime Investigation Department (CID) Chaudhry Aslam was transferred to the CID, Express News reported on Wednesday.

According to the police, the transfer took place because the case was high profile and sections of anti-terrorism act were included in the case.

Aslam and his two guards were killed on January 9 when a suspected suicide bomber – later identified as Naeemullah, son of a prayer leader – drove an explosives-laden vehicle into his car on Lyrai Expressway, in Karachi’s Essa Nagri neighbourhood.

DIG CID will select an officer from the department to carry out the investigation. The CID will be better at carrying out the investigation, the police said.

Daredevil cop

Muhammad Aslam Khan, commonly known as Chaudhry Aslam, inspired fear and awe almost everywhere he went.

Usually spotted in his trademark crisp white shalwar kameez with his buttons undone and an unkempt beard, he was known for wearing flashy watches, carrying his Glock 9mm pistol in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

Known as the Sultan Rahi of Sindh police, it is a poignant that he died on the same day that Rahi did.

Background

Investigation into the assassination of the late fearless officer had revealed on January 13 that the attackers had a second vehicle with explosives as backup. Eyewitnesses had said they had seen two vans at the toll booth on the expressway.

The police had nominated Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah and his spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid on January 11 in the FIR for the suicide attack that killed Aslam.

On the same day, senior police officials – including Sindh Police Chief Shahid Nadeem Balocha and CID AIG Iqbal Mehmood – had visited the crime scene and examined the reports of forensic experts.

A highly credible source in the Sindh police had said that a special team of the Military Intelligence (MI) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were helping with the investigation. He had further added that the attack showed that there were black sheep in the police force, who had tipped off the militants about Chaudhry Aslam’s routes.

Around 200 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast.

Slideshow: Remembering ‘Karachi’s super cop’ Chaudhry Aslam Khan