‘Knifeman’ in custody never came to Karachi, Senate body told

There is no evidence to prove the suspected knifeman arrested in Mandi Bahauddin ever came to Karachi, a senior Sindh police officer informed the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Tuesday.

The body, which met at the new Sindh Secretariat building with Senator Nasreen Jalil in chair, expressed satisfaction on the progress made so far by the police in their attempt to solve the case of the mysterious knife attacks on female citizens in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and the adjoining localities.

‘He may be set free’

East Zone DIG Sultan Ali Khawaja told the committee that Waseem, the suspect arrested in Mandi Bahauddin for the Karachi knife attacks, could be freed owing to lack of any credible evidence against him that could tie him to the case.

He said that some 38 suspects were rounded up across Karachi, data of 200 mobile phone numbers had been checked and 15,000 phone calls were traced. He said that some 1,500 red motorcycles were registered in the names of people residing in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area. “It is suspected that red-coloured motorcycle(s) have been used in the attacks.”

The officer said that unfortunately, there was no system of CCTV cameras for the purposes of electronic security and surveillance covering the entire city. He said the Mandi Bahauddin suspect had used 16 different SIMs and various mobile phones, as majority of the SIMs were registered in the names of the suspect’s relatives.

“None of these SIMs was used to make or receive any call from Karachi. In fact, no evidence has been found that suggests the suspect ever visited the metropolis.”

He said an SSP Investigation of the Sindh police had been in Sahiwal for the past 10 days, adding that Waseem would be set free if found innocent.  

‘We know our duties’

Karachi police chief Addl IGP Mushtaq Mahar said the media had played up the incidents of knife attacks on female citizens in the city, while the Sindh police was completely aware of its responsibilities.

He said that some 30 to 40 people suffering from mental disorders were interrogated in connection with the knife attacks, adding that the police had brought peace back in the city and they were probing the knife attack incidents from different angles to solve the case.