Sindh CM’s adviser resigns, asks for probe into arms smuggling bid

KARACHI: Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Allah Dino aka Babal Khan Bhayo has resigned from his post after an alleged attempt was made to bring a huge quantity of weapons from Balochistan to Jacobabad.

In a statement issued on Saturday, he said he had resigned from his post to let a fair and transparent inquiry be conducted into Friday’s alleged arms smuggling bid.

According to Sindh government sources, Bhayo was asked by Pakistan Peoples Party high-ups to tender his resignation, after an alleged attempt to smuggle a big quantity of arms was foiled in Jacobabad.

In his statement, Bhayo said he had requested the CM to accept his resignation immediately and start an inquiry. He said the purpose of the resignation was to ensure a transparent and impartial inquiry and make the findings of the inquiry public.

He remarked that unnecessary politicisation was done about the illegal arms seized in Jacobabad on Friday. He thought that this attempt was made to tarnish his reputation by accusing him of transporting illegal arms.

Bhayo said that as a PPP worker and adviser to the CM, he strongly denied these allegations as he had nothing to do with this incident.

The Jacobabad police have registered a case against four inter-provincial smugglers and three policemen under sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act on charges of smuggling of arms, a day after seizing a consignment of arms and munitions from the Limits of Jacobabad.

Jacobabad’s Moladad police with Inspector Ishtiaq Ahmed as complainant have registered the case against four arms smugglers, one ASI and two other policemen under Section 23(i) of the Sindh Arms Act-2013 read with sections 6/7 of the ATA 1997.

Those nominated in the case include suspects Ikhtiar Ahmed Lashari, Nabeel Ahmed Bhayo, Taufiq Ahmed Gujjar and Zakir Hussain Bhayo. ASI Imtiaz Ahmed Bhayo and constables Sanaullah Manganhar and Baqaullah Unnar have also been nominated in the case for providing escort to the smugglers’ vehicle.

Police sources told The News that the police mobile seized in connection with the arms smuggling bid was sanctioned to provincial adviser Babal Bhayo for his security and protocol.

“Police stopped a black double-cabin vehicle (No: CU-1590) Toyota Hilux, and arrested four arms smugglers, and an ASI and two other policemen from a police mobile (No: SPN-375) assigned for providing escort to smugglers. During the search, 01 SMG, 01 G-3 K.Kov, 16 magazines of G-3, two magazines of SMG, 1118 bullets of 7-62 bore, 670 bullets of LMG,200 bullets of G-3, one SMG, 01 G-3 K.kov were recovered from the both vehicles, besides 02 mobile phones and 2,500 in cash.”

Jacobabad SSP Saleem Shah said that an attempt was made to smuggle arms and bullets by arms dealers in a police mobile and a Vego. SSP Shah said the police foiled the arms smuggling bid by pursuing intelligence-based information that drug dealer Akhtiar Ali alias Zahid Hussain Lashari was smuggling arms from Balochistan to Shikarpur for terrorist incidents.

He said verification of the impounded Vego by the excise department confirmed that it was registered with Haji Abdul Hamid.

He said five days’ physical remand of the accused was obtained from an ATC; however, he said that the son of Babul Khan Bhayo was not present in the vehicle. A test for PMLN leadership