Five hitmen involved in sectarian killings arrested

Suspects admit to murdering several doctors and religious scholars

Karachi

The anti-terrorism police have claimed busting a group of hitmen and capturing five suspects who had been carrying out sectarian killings in the city for the past several years. 

The arrests were made during raids conducted in a District East neighbourhood by personnel of Sindh’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), said DIG Arif Haneef of the anti-terror force.

The target killers were identified as Syed Amir Hussain Rizvi alias Babar alias Irfan, Zainul Abideen alias Sunny, Faizyaab Ali alias Isphan alias Sheraz, Syed Mohsin Hussain alias Talha alias Pagal and Syed Mohammad Abbas alias Ashir alias Hamza.

The police found lethal weapons, including 9mm pistols, on the suspects, who were taken to the CTD headquarters for questioning.

DIG Haneef said the seized weapons and bullets were sent to the Sindh Police’s Forensic Division, which confirmed that the same guns had been used in several sectarian killings in Karachi.

The police took the action soon after it transpired during investigations in cases of sectarian killings and other acts of terrorism that the terrorists, who usually operated in District East and Malir areas, had expanded their network. 

DIG Haneef said the arrests were made in the murder case of a known religious scholar, who was targeted in Gulistan-e-Jauhar a few weeks ago. 

He said the terrorists used to target doctors, religious scholars and known personalities belonging to a rival sect after monitoring their victims’ movements.

He said the five men had been planning to kill some religious scholars before Eidul Azha to create sectarian tensions in the city, but their plan was timely foiled by the CTD officials. 

The accused admitted to murdering Hafiz Mohammad Sajid in Shah Faisal Colony, Habibur Rehman in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Dr Fazalur Rehman in Landhi and Mufti Ghulam Akbar and Mufti Kamran Hussain in Gulshan-e-Iqbal this year.

DIG Haneef said the terrorists had been active in the city since 2014, and last year they targeted Iftekhar Ahmed in Jamshed Quarters, Naseem Khan and Asif in the airport police remit, besides attacking Maulana Yasir and injuring Ahmed in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

In 2013-14, the suspects had gunned down Qari Ghulam Sarwar in Samanabad, Essa in Boat Basin, Mohammad Imran in New Karachi and Mohammad Tanveer and Mohammad Tauseef in Khokharapar.

The DIG said interrogators grilling the suspects to extract information about those who were working with them as facilitators.

Three ‘gangsters’ held 

The paramilitary force arrested three alleged gangsters with weapons in raids conducted in various areas of the city on Monday.

The spokesman for the Sindh Rangers said that paramilitary soldiers conducted raids in Shah Faisal, Keamari and Lyari and rounded up three criminals affiliated with Lyari’s gang war.

Weapons and ammunition were said to have been found on the suspects. 

Separately, during snap checking in the Nazimabad area, one suspect was arrested with a weapon.