MQM-L man held for killing DSP, SHO in 2010

Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a member of a political party’s militant wing for his alleged involvement in over half-a-dozen cases of targeted killings, including those of police officers.

The arrested suspect was identified as Ashiq Elahi alias Danish Elahi who is allegedly affiliated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London. According to the police, he was arrested after he had an exchange of fire with the police within the limits of the Bahadurabad police station.

District East SSP Ghulam Azfar Mahesar said the suspect was involved in targeted killings of DSP Nawaz Ranjha and SHO Nasirul Hassan in 2010, and at least seven other persons. The SSP added that the police seized a pistol and a hand grenade from his possession.

DSP Ranjha, who had been tasked with investigating the Karsaz bomb attack on the Benazir Bhutto-led procession on October 18, 2007, was gunned down along with his driver on August 16, 2010 on MA Jinnah Road. Besides the Karsaz incident, the DSP had also investigated various high profile cases of crime and terrorism.

On the day he was targeted, DSP Ranjha, who was at that time posted at the Preedy police station, was on a routine patrol when two armed men on a motorcycle fired multiple shots at his police vehicle near Radio Pakistan and fled.

Earlier in July 2010, Brigade SHO Nasirul Hassan and his guard, Head Constable Khurram Butt, were gunned down. The two policemen had completed a round of snap checking and were on their way back to the police station when they were attacked.

The investigations had concluded that the DSP and SHO were shot by the same target killers. The police also earlier arrested a suspect, Irfan alias Urfee, believing that he and his companion were behind the killings of DSP Ranjha and SHO Hassan.

Street criminal held

Meanwhile, the Bahadurabad police claimed to have arrested a suspect involved in various cases of street crime. SSP Mahesar said the suspect was arrested after he had an exchange of fire with the Bahadurabad police. He was later identified as Aqeel alias Silencer.

According to police officials, the suspect was involved in street crime, particularly in the limits of the Nabi Bux police station. His accomplice Abdullah, who was around 60 years old, was killed a few weeks ago during an alleged encounter with the police. His family accused the police of staging a fake encounter.

SSP Mahesar claimed that Aqeel and Abdullah were together when the latter was killed in the encounter and the former managed to escape under the cover of fire. Further investigations are under way.