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Tuesday March 19, 2024

‘MQM-L killers assigned to target candidates arrested’

By Our Correspondent
July 19, 2018

The Sindh Rangers on Wednesday claimed to have arrested two alleged activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) faction, who were planning to target electoral candidates.

According to a spokesperson for the force, the headquarters received credible intelligence information that some militants of the South Africa network of MQM-L had come to Karachi and were planning to target election candidates from their hideout in Orangi Town.

Acting on the information, the soldiers conducted a targeted raid in the vicinity and after a brief skirmish arrested Mohammad Bilal Lodhi and Mohammad Irshad, notorious activists of MQM-L, and shifted them to the headquarters.

During interrogation, it was found that the suspects were tasked by their leadership to target rival candidates during the General Election 2018 in order to disrupt law and order.

The spokesperson further said that MQM-L and its South Africa network had held a meeting in this regard in June where they had constituted teams of target killers for Karachi. These teams were allegedly tasked to target people who were against MQM-L and those who had left the party.

The suspects also reportedly confessed that they were instructed to target the leadership of rival parties and were facilitated by the MQM-London leadership financially. They admitted they were told to target candidates contesting from PS-128, who include Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Mohsin Jawed, Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Arif Hussain Qureshi and Pak Sarzameen Party’s Moin and Azhar.

The suspects also said they had gathered information on all the candidates, including their addresses and movements, and they were provided weapons by the workers of MQM-L present in Karachi, the spokesperson added. He further said that weapons were seized from the suspects, while the Rangers were conducting more intelligence-based raids to arrest the remaining suspects.

Arrests

Moreover, 20 other suspects involved in various crimes were held in targeted operations in other parts of the city. According to a spokesperson, Zulfiqar Ali, who is said to be involved in a number of criminal offences, was arrested from Sachal.

More raids were carried out by the paramilitary force in Soldier Bazaar, Jamshed Quarters, Ferozabad, Sachal and Madina Colony areas from where they have arrested 12 suspects identified as Zakir Khan, Mohammad Farhan, Mohammad Yasir alias John, Syed Mohammad Awais Zaidi, Faruq Shah alias Shah Jee, Habib alias Banu, Faisal Ahmed, Raheel Hussain, Akhtar Hussain, Mohammad Jumman, Mohammad Shahid and Syed Afzal Hussain.

These suspects were said to be involved in a number of street crimes and armed robberies in various parts of the city.

Seven others were held during other raids in Soldier Bazaar, Jamshed Quarters and Nazimabad. The suspects identified as Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf, Mohammad Saeed, Imran Khan alias Maru, Mohammad Ameen, Yousuf alias Bacha and Imran, are said to be involved in drug peddling.

Weapons, looted items and narcotics were seized from all suspects and they were handed over to the local police.

Constable dead

A police constable died on Wednesday due to an accidental gunshot from an official weapon near Gadah Morr in Lines Area, while armed robbers broke into a shop in Bohri Bazaar.

According to Brigade police station SHO Mohammad Sarwar, the deceased cop, 40-year-old Mohammad Ameen, and other duty staff were monitoring the area during which an officer handed his loaded rifle to Ameen.

The gun fell on the ground and a shot was fired. The bullet hit Ameen who was critically injured and taken to Civil Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased was a resident of Saeedabad and left behind a wife and a son.