Seven ‘target killers’ arrested

Karachi
Seven suspected target killers, including those believed to be involved in the May 12, 2007 violence in Karachi and the killing of policemen in Chakra Goth, were arrested in raids conducted, police said on Sunday.
SSP Investigation East Altaf Sarwar Malik said police conducted a raid in Malir and rounded up Kamran alias Kami, an activist of a political party.
He added that Kamran had confessed to killing five people in the Malir district and was also involved in the May 12 violence.
A TT pistol found in his possession was seized.
Separately, the SSP said, the police raided a hideout in Sachal and after a brief encounter arrested Mohammad Rafiq alias Rafiq Bhai. His pistols were also seized. During interrogation, Rafiq said he was an activist of a political party. In the year 2007, he joined the party as its activist in Ibrahim Hyderi.
Later, pleased with his performance, the party appointed him as a sector member in the area.
He extorted money from the residents for the party in the form of zakat and fitra.
Rafiq told interrogators that he extorted Rs20,000 and Rs15,000 every month from two fish respectively. He also extorted money every month from two other traders running poultry businesses.
In 2011, the party had a clash with its rival group in Chakra Goth. An activist of the rival group had also torched its office there, following which a party activist named Shakir gathered over 150 activists at its Korangi office from where they headed towards Chakra Goth armed with Kalashnikovs and 9mm pistols.
Rafiq said they had a shootout with their rivals in Chakra Goth, during which they saw police vans and a private bus carrying cops heading their way.
They fired gunshots at the bus and escaped. Nine policemen were killed in the shooting.
The SSP said Rafiq was also involved in arson and other criminal cases.

Four held
The official said police also arrested four other target killers in raids conducted in Malir.
They were identified as Shabbir alias Shabbira, Naveed alias Bhangi, Usman and Hamid alias Billo.
The four men told interrogators that they were activists of a political party and confessed to killing five activists of the Pakistan People’s Party in a clash in Model Colony and Saudabad in the year 2012.
The Malir police also arrested Mohammed Zaeem Yaqoob alias Jimmy, a worker of a political party. The SSP said Yaqoob confessed to murdering 10 activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement including a party councilor. Separately, police raided a place in Urdu Nagar in Malir City and found two Kalashnikovs, a .222 rifle and sub-machine gun bullets buried underground.

Robber killed
Police gunned down a suspected robber in an encounter in Gulshan-e-Maymar in the wee hours of Sunday.
SSP West Azfar Mahesar said police had a shootout with two robbers who were mugging police inspector Nafees near Afghan Camp off Northern Bypass. He added that one robber was killed while the other escaped.