A commander of the banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who attempted to bomb the Ashura procession has made startling disclosures during interrogation following his arrest.
Recently, Counter Terrorism Department officer Khurram Waris, who is known for his past operations against banned outfits, especially the Lashker-e-Jhangvi and TTP, hunted down the notorious TTP commander, Muhammad Shoaib alias Baba, who had planned to carry out a bomb blast in the Ashura procession in Karachi, but his attempt was timely thwarted.
Shoaib’s arrest was disclosed by Sindh’s CTD last week, and the official said the terrorist was planning a suicide attack on a Muharram procession in Orangi Town. The suspect belongs to the TTP Dara Adam Khel and had been working as its commander. He was also involved in kidnappings for ransom and attacks on military convoys.
The CTD officer said the suspect is accused of kidnapping 16 people and burying them in a mass grave after he did not receive the ransom. He said the suspect had admitted to plan a suicide attack with his accomplices on a Muharram procession in Orangi Town. They also intended to hurl hand grenades to raise the number of casualties and cause widespread destruction in the city, he added.
Investigators privy to the interrogations said Shoaib is under investigation at the CTD headquarters, where he has made startling disclosures. The alleged terrorist was born in 1965 in Toorki Khel, Dara Adam Khel, and his father was a landlord.
He studied till Grade 7 at a comprehensive school in Kohat. In 1979 he joined the Malaysian Scout Force and in 1983 he resigned from the force and got married. Afterwards, he came to Karachi, settled in Machar Colony and started working in a factory as labourer. In 1992 he left Karachi and went back to his home town where he worked at a cement factory for 14 years. In 2012 he returned to Karachi and settled down in Ittehad Town, Baldia. Shoaib further disclosed that in 2009 TTP militants entered Toorki Ismail Khel during which he along with his son Zakaullah, his nephew Ishaq, and other people of the area, including Kaleemullah alias Mullah, Abid, Zubair, Tandar and Azhmaray, joined the TTP. Moreover, he also owned a Hujrah at Toorki Khel and was known by the name of Majeed. His cousin and he established it as a headquarter of the TTP. Being the elder among others, he was incharge there and committed terrorist activities in the area after consultation with other group members in Dara Adam Khel.
Shoaib disclosed that he later gave the command of the group to Kaleemullah alias Mullah, and whenever they planned an attack in Toorki Khel the command was given to Kaleemullah. Afterwards, an army operation started and the headquarter that he established at his hometown was bulldosed and all fled to different places to hide. Moreover, he told the interrogators that he was named commander of Dara Adam Khel after the killing of TTP Commander Tariq Geedar.
He also disclosed that he used to provide shelter, food and other requirement to the militants of the TTP. He said that in 2011 he along with his other associates had kidnapped 16 people from a coal factory of Khyber Agency on the instructions of the TTP commander for ransom and took them to their hideout in Gullu Tangi and demanded ransom. All the abducted persons originated from the Shangla district, and upon failing to receive the ransom they had brutally murdered the abductees and buried them in the area. Moreover, the mass grave was later dug up in April 9, 2021 and the deceased were identified from their clothes.
The accused along with his associates remained involved in attacking convoys of the Pakistan Army in Toorki Khel and its adjoining areas. He also told the interrogators that he along with his associates kidnapped Malik Sher Rehman, a social welfare leader who also worked as officer in Sui Gas Company and had influence in the locals of the area. He and his associates were scared of Malik Rehman upon which they planned to murder Rehman and later upon his instructions his commander Kaleemullah alias Mullah murdered Sher Rehman near a school of Toorki Khel.
Shoaib disclosed that he was informed about the Aman Lashkar was coming to Araah Khel; however, he sent his commander Tandar Khel to Arah Khel to threaten an officer of the Khasdaar Force to leave the job. Soon Tandar Khel reached Arah Khel, where he was identified by people of Aman Lashkar and they informed the locals that he was the member of the TTP. At this, an exchange of fire took place in which Tandar Khel was killed.
The disclosures also include the abduction of a son of Dr Yaqoob from Toorki Ismail Khel. Shoaib said he had kidnapped him from his hometown and later shifted him to the TTP headquarter near the hills of Jammu where he was detained and later released after the ransom was paid.
Regarding the planned attack on a Muharram procession, he said he had planned the attack along with his relative Ishaaq. He said they had planned to attack the procession by lobbing hand grenades and then carrying out a suicide attack.
