CTD gets custody of ‘HuT activist’ for 90 days

Karachi
Arrested a day earlier for being associated with a banned terrorist organisation, Owais Raheel, an engineering and business graduate, was handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for a 90-day period on Wednesday.
Raheel, who is said to be associated with Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), Raheel was apparently arrested from his apartment located in Boat Basin. A large quantity of hate-inciting pamphlets were also claimed to be found from his house.
The IO informed the court that accused had connections with some terrorist groups which needed further interrogation, under Section 11-EEEE of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
According to CTD’s investigation wing’s chief, Mazhar Mashwani, the accused had graduated from two prestigious universities of Karachi, the NED University of Engineering and Technology and the Institute of Business Administration (IBA). who got degrees from Karachi’s two prestigious educational institutions, the NED University and the Institute of Business Administration, was arrested on Tuesday for his affiliation with terrorist outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT).
The chief claimed that during interrogation, Raheel had confessed to joining the HuT after finishing his studies.
Raheel was assigned the task of motivating people, especially youngsters at educational institutions, in Defence and Clifton to join his organisation and also distributing pamphlets outside mosques in the area for this purpose. He was inspired by the sermons of Dr Israr Ahmed of the Tanzeem-e-Islami and followed his teachings.
Raheel and other members of his organisation contacted each other using Viber and other voice over internet protocol applications as well as social networking websites and had their set-ups in Landhi, Malir and Model Colony.
Banned in 2003, the HuT vies to establish the ‘Khilafat’ system, contrary to the country’s democratic political system; it does not recognise the Constitution of Pakistan either.
With three apparent attempts to penetrate the armed forces of Pakistan, five military officials were court-martialed by the army for having links with the organisation in November 2012, whereas a brigadier had also faced charges for its links with the HuT in 2011.

MQM activists remanded
Three alleged activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were remanded to the Rangers for 90 days, while a fourth was handed over to the Zaman Town police for 14 days, by an anti-terrorism court (ATC).
According to the law officer of the paramilitary force, the suspects were members of the MQM but also used to carry out criminal activities by ’posing as Taliban’.
Of the three, Shahid alias Papa was claimed to be an in-charge of Unit 28 of the MQM, while the other two accused, Muhammad Farooq Qureshi and Sajid alis Pappu, were members of the party and carried out terrorist activities in the Eidgah and Meethadar areas.
The fourth accused, Fahad Aziz alias Dulha, was according to the IO said to have informed the police of his association with the MQM; he was being interrogated for the murder of one Kamran Ali, in 2014.
The Investigation Officer (IO) prayed to the court to grant physical remand of the accused in order to further probe the murder. The court granted the plea and directed the IO to produce the accused in court after the lapse of the remand.