Former senator Faisal Raza Abidi arrested in raid

Law enforcement agencies arrested former senator Faisal Raza Abidi and seized weapons during a raid on his house in New Rizvia Society on Saturday over suspicion of his involvement in Friday’s sectarian killings. 

The arrest came a day after six people belonging to the Sunni community were killed in a series of shootings carried out within an hour in the Central and East districts. Two prayer leaders and three supporters of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat were among the victims. 

On October 29, gunmen had shot dead five members of the Shia community at a majlis, which was being held in a house in Nazimabad No. 4, raising a question mark on the ongoing target operation in Karachi.

Separate teams, including personnel from intelligence agencies, police and paramilitary Rangers, were formed to investigate Friday’s shootings, which were reportedly carried out by a motorcycle pillion rider, and to catch those involved in creating the sectarian rift in the city.

Investigators said they had arrested some suspects in raids conducted in different localities of the Central and East districts and shifted them to undisclosed locations for interrogations.

They also carried out a raid in New Rizvia Society in the Sachal police jurisdiction in the wee hours of Saturday, arrested former PPP senator Faisal Raza Abidi and moved him to an undisclosed location for questioning.

During the search of his house, weapons, including G-3 rifle and MP-5 and submachine guns, were seized.

Sources said all the weapons were licensed and the G-3 rifle and the MP-5 gun belonged to the official guards attached with him for security. However, the officials declined to disclose the exact reason for Abidi’s arrest.

Meanwhile, the Jamshed Quarters, Hyderi and FB Area police registered FIRs of the six murders against unidentified target killers.

Ranges arrest two

The paramilitary force announced the arrests of two suspects, including a member of a banned outfit involved in target killings.

The spokesman for the Sindh Rangers said soldiers carried out an intelligence-based raid in a locality and apprehended Syed Mehroze Mehdi Naqvi alias Mehdi Badhshah, said to be associated with a banned outfit.

During the intial interrogation, the suspect admitted murdering Mufti Dil Faraz Maviya and Abu Bakar in the SITE area in February 2013. He also admitted that in February 2014 he murdered Mufti Usman Yar Khan, Mohammed Ali and Mohammed Rafiq in the Sharea Faisal police limits.

He was said to be involved in more than 22 murder cases as well as in cases of kidnapping for ransom, robbery, extortion and street crime. 

Acting on information which he provided, paramilitary soldiers conducted another raid and seized weapons and ammunition which, he said, he had been using to target people belonging to a rival group. The suspect was handed over to police for further legal formalities. 

During a separate raid in PIB Colony, Rangers troops arrested Ishtiaq alias Maama and shifted him to their headquarters for questioning.

Ishtiaq was found involved in a number of target killings. He reportedly belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and was once its unit incharge. He had allegedly been killing people on ethnic grounds on directives issued by the party’s high command from 1993 to 2007. 

During the years 1995-96 he was said to have murdered activists of the MQM-Haqiqi and a man, Moosa, of Lyari gang war in 2008.

The accused is also involved in May 12, 2007, violence in which he had attacked the Aaj TV office where he resorted to firing and also damaged property. 

During strike calls given by the party, he got shops and markets closed, took Fitra and Zakat forcibly, and collected extortion and hides during Eidul Azha.

The Rangers spokesman said a submachine gun, a repeater rifle, a 30-bore pistol and three Avon bombs and ammunitions were seized during the raid. The suspect was later handed over to police for further legal action.