Ex-MQM man who joined Lyari gangs killed in SITE shootout: CTD

SSP Omar Shahid Hamid says Mohammad Sohail alias DC was associated with
MQM in late 90s before joining Uzair Baloch and other wanted Lyari gangsters

Sindh Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel on Sunday alleged gunning down a disreputable Lyari gangster associated with the notorious Wasiullah Lakho and Taj Mohammad groups.

Indentifying the gangster as Mohammad Sohail alias DC, SSP Omar Shahid, CTD’s intelligence wing chief, said a raid was carried out at a house near Naurus Chowrangi in SITE, following a tip-off received by the personnel.

On seeing the police the accused opened fire to which the officials retaliated. The shootout resulted in injuries to Sohail while his companion managed to escape.

The injured gangster was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, the SSP added.

As per details provided by the police, Sohail was associated with the Lyari gang war’s Wasiullah Lakho group and Taj Mohammed alias Taju group. He had earlier fled to Dubai to escape arrest and taken shelter with Taj Mohammed there; he had recently come back to Karachi.

SSP Hamid claimed that before joining the Lyari gang war, the accused was an active member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the late 90s but owing to differences joined Lyari kingpin Uzair Baloch’s group.

The SSP further stated that Sohail was present when Lyari’s rival gang operator, Arshad Pappu, was murdered and that he had assisted Pappu’s killers.

The accused was also involved in target killings, attacks on law enforcers, claiming extortions as well as carrying out short-term kidnappings.

The CTD intelligence wing chief added that the accused in 2013 had attacked a vehicle of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) in Lyari in which some personnel got injured.

Besides murdering a Lyari resident, Qazaffi, Sohail also reportedly attacked the Allah Rakha Park in Kharadar, along with his associates, which resulted in the killing of two people. 

In the year 2012, the accused killed a police constable, Babar, in the vicinity of Kamil Gali, Kharadar. The SSP added that Sohail also killed print journalist, Syed Ali Raza Shah near Abdullah Haroon Yateemkhana, in Baghdadi, in the same year. Murders of two Hindu community members on the main Mauripur Road, Kabari Gali, in Baghdadi were also carried out by him.

SSP Shahid further added that in 2012, the accused kidnapped a man who he later beheaded and threw his head in Gaoo Gali, located in the Old City area.

As for the short-term kidnappings carried out by him, the police official claimed that he used to kidnap traders and release them after being given a ransom of Rs100,000 to Rs200,000; in case abductees failed to pay ransom, he would kill them.