200 sleeper cells in Karachi: Four ‘RAW agents’ held in counter-terror swoop

They were plotting terror activities during Muharram in Karachi: police officer

KARACHI: More than 200 sleeper cells are present in Karachi, alleged operatives of India’s top spy agency have told interrogators.

Investigation Unit of the Counter-Terrorism Department and a secret agency in a joint venture claimed to have apprehended four terrorists belonging to Indian spy agency – RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) in Karachi. Their arrests were disclosed during a news conference by CTD SSP Naveed Khawaja at his office on Thursday.

The culprits are identified as Abdul Jabbar alias Zafar Tension; Muhammad Mohsin Khan alias Kashif alias Zeeshan alias Hassan; Muhammad Shafiq Khan alias Pappu and Khalid Aman alias Dad.

SSP Khawaja said that during interrogation the suspects revealed that more than 200 sleeper cells are present in Karachi, adding that the police have asked State Bank of Pakistan to freeze the bank accounts through which the RAW provided them funds for terror activities in the metropolis.

“For us criminals are criminals, we have nothing to do with which party they belong to. We will also catch their facilitators,” replied the SSP when he was asked about affiliation of the suspects with any political party. “They all have connection with criminal groups based in South Africa, India, London, Dubai and Malaysia. From their possession a palmtop was also seized and documented evidence emerged about RAW’s involvement in Pakistan”

SSP Khawaja said the suspects admitted to their involvement in terrorist activities in Karachi and that they received training from RAW in India from 1995 to 2002.

In India they visited Basant Pur, Dehra Dhun, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Farid Pur and were imparted training there on how to handle weapons such as sub-machine guns (SMGs), RPG rockets, and hand grenades, he added. The police officer claimed that Javed Langra looked after them in India and also provided them complete logistics support.

Talking about confessions made by suspect Abdul Jabbar, the SSP said that he told interrogators that after completion of physical training in Jodhpur and Rajasthan he returned to Delhi and met Javed Langra who directed him to return to Pakistan. He was also tasked to assassinate Afaq Ahmed, the chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s rival political party in Karachi.

“RAW officials Major Bahgat and Major Rathore supervised these trainings in India. The main task assigned to these terrorists was to do target killings and political murders,” claimed SSP Khawaja.

He also said that Zafar, through a messenger, was conveyed to carry out a series of bomb blasts in Ancholi, Rizvia and Shah Khurasan Imambargah during Muharram to create chaos and anarchy in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2015.