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Thursday March 28, 2024

TTP commander’s madrasa sealed in Karachi

By Salis bin Perwaiz
August 13, 2017

On the request of Sindh’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the District West police have sealed the madrasa established by notorious terrorist Mufti Shakir, The News has learnt.

CTD Intelligence Wing chief SSP Omar Shahid Hamid said personnel of his wing, the local administration and the district police conducted a search operation at Al Kareem Islamic Academy in Site Town’s Haider Chali.

Hamid said the madrasa was established by Mufti Shakir, a dangerous Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander believed to be responsible for murdering a number of police officials in Central and West districts between 2013 and 2014, including CTD SP Chaudhry Aslam.

A few days ago the CTD had neutralised a group that was planning to carry out large-scale attacks across Karachi, and Shakir was revealed to be their mastermind, he added.

He said Shakir was also suspected to be behind at least one group that was involved in targeting police officials across the metropolis, adding that seven suspects were detained during the raid and were being questioned.

According to sources, Mufti Shakir is funding the TTP and his name is also listed on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

SSP Hamid said they had questioned Shakir’s brothers Khalid and Akbar, who were running a factory in Ittehad Town, adding that the brothers were told to remain available for future inquiry.

In response to a query, he said banned organisations, including the Tehreek-e-Imarat Islamia Afghanistan (TIIA), had links to the TTP, adding that the absconding Shakir was also associated and in contact with the TIIA.

He added that the terrorists the CTD had killed in an earlier raid in Keamari were planning to attack important places and installations, and that they were operating under the command of absconding terrorist Abdul Jabbar, alias Salim, alias Laghari, who was the city chief for the TTP.

SSP Hamid said the terrorists arrested earlier had disclosed that they were planning an attack on an Ismaili jamaatkhana in Karimabad, adding that last year their commander had convened a meeting at Madni Masjid near Ayesha Manzil and carried out recce of the jamaatkhana.

He said the gathered information was sent to Afghanistan, where the jamaatkhana was approved as a target, adding that it was decided that the attack would be jointly executed by the TIIA and the TTP’s Mufti Shakir group.

The CTD official said the arms, ammunitions and explosives were to be arranged by Shakir, while three suicide bombers were to be provided by the TIIA.

The Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Manghopir shrines, different imambargahs and a renowned university were also on their targets, he added.

“They had completed the recce for these sites and were prepared to carry out indiscriminate firing as well as IED  and suicide blasts.”

SSP Hamid said the detainees admitted to targeting a civilian last year, adding that Jabbar had carried out recce of a man at Dabba Morr.

He said that on the day of the incident, the absconding Jabbar arranged a 9mm pistol for the attackers and followed them on a motorcycle, adding that the man was targeted near his house.

However, said the official, the next day the assailants found out through the newspapers that the man they had killed believing to be a police official turned out to be a civilian contractor named Shafiullah.