Funeral prayers for Khanewal attack martyrs held

By Nadeem Shah

MULTAN: The funeral prayers for Naveed Sadiq and Nasir Hussain, the director and inspector of Inter-Services Intelligence’s (ISI) Counter-Terrorism Wing, respectively, were held on Wednesday, a day after the duo were martyred in a Khanewal terror attack.

ISI Director-General Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum and other military officials as well as the martyrs’ families attended the funeral prayers.

On Tuesday, terrorists martyred the two officials when they were at a local hotel in Khanewal, a senior police official confirmed.

South Punjab Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP), Sahabzada Shahzad Sultan, said the perpetrators were on a motorcycle.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah took notice of the incident and asked Punjab’s Inspector General of Police and the province’s chief secretary to submit a report. In a statement, Sanaullah also expressed his grief, saying the incident is regrettable. Naveed, the martyred official who headed the ISI’s CTD wing, was awarded the Sitara-e-Shujaat on March 23, 2021, in recognition of his bravery and courage against anti-national elements. He joined the police force as a sub-inspector in 2002. After appearing for a high-level exam in 2009, he was appointed to the ISI, the premier intelligence agency, as an assistant director.

During his tenure, the spy agency official exposed key networks of banned outfits. After months of efforts, he gained access to the high command of Daesh. He also neutralised the terrorists after raiding and finding their ambush site in Faisalabad. Similarly, he also fought against suicide bombers in Gujranwala. Naveed also tracked down the network involved in the abduction of Ali Haider Gilani, son of former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

He also broke the network of a banned organisation that martyred two officers of his own unit inspector Umar Mubin Jilani and sub-inspector Yasir. The martyred official’s wife is also serving as a deputy director in the counter-terrorism wing.

Naveed Sadiq was martyred in Khanewal at a time when he was on a mission to take down the network of a banned outfit operating from Afghanistan. Both ISI officials were attacked by accused Umar Khan.

A CTD official said on Wednesday the two CTD officers killed in Khanewal on Tuesday were on terrorists’ hit list. They were on a highly sensitive mission to unearth the terrorism network linked to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. He said the security agencies had traced the terrorists; one of them has been identified as Umar Khan Ghazi Khail, a resident of Kacha Khu, Khanewal district.

The official said the terrorist was involved in sabotage activities and attacking and killing security personnel besides facilitating suicide missions. He was organising the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Khanewal and other areas.

The Counter Terrorism Department, Multan, has registered the First Information Report No01/23 on the complaint of the slain officers’ driver Rafaqat Anjum. The complainant stated in the FIR that he was serving as driver in the Inter-Services Intelligence. The FIR said the officers were rendering remarkable services against terrorism networks and their services were being lauded largely across the country.

The FIR said the officers reached the Bismillah Hotel near Pirowal in Khanewal on Tuesday and met a source.

Meanwhile, Umar Khan Ghazi Khail, riding a bike, (MNM-16-7-81) reached the hotel and shot Inspector Nasir Abbas and ISI CTD Director Naveed Sadiq. Umar committed the crime in collaboration with Asadullah, son of Sanaullah Ghazi Khail, a resident of 31-10-R, Khanewal. The FIR includes sections 302 PPC and 7 ATA 1997.