Police claim arresting ‘killer of over 41 people’

The District East police on Sunday claimed to have arrested a political party’s worker involved in the killings of more than 41 people, including policemen, government officials and workers of rival political parties.

The alleged target killer was identified as Sajid, alias Chohta, alias Bona. According to the police, the suspect was affiliated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London and a technical detection enabled his arrest during a raid in the Bahadurabad area. The police also seized a 9mm pistol from his possession.

District East police chief SSP Ghulam Azfar Mahesar said the arrested man was involved in 41 cases of targeted killings. He added that a stolen motorcycle was also recovered from his possession.

Sharing the crime record of the suspect, SSP Mahesar said he was involved in targeted killings since 1995 when he murdered a policeman, Nabi Buksh. The officer claimed that he along with his accomplices killed officials and personnel of the range and excise police, and workers of various political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, Muhajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi and his own political party. The arrested man was already booked in several cases in different police stations, including those of Jamshed Quarters and PIB Colony.

The SSP said the suspect confessed that he along with his companions killed an education director, Shamim Khan, inside the director education office in Jamshed Quarters. The officer maintained that after accomplishing targeted killings, the suspect used to join groups of the Tableeghi Jamaat to escape. He added that most of Sajid’s accomplices had already been killed in police encounters while a few had gone into hiding. The police also recovered a hand grenade and two 30bore pistols hidden in a location in Jamshed Quarters with the help of information provided by the suspect.

Sindh Inspector General of Police Dr Syed Kaleem Imam and Additional IG Karachi Dr Amir Shaikh announced rewards and certificates for the police party which arrested the notorious target killer. Further investigations are underway.

Various suspected criminals associated with the MQM-L have been arrested in the recent past, some of whom are said to be involved in high-profile cases. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Sindh police on Thursday arrested a worker of the MQM for his alleged involvement in the targeted killing of a former Town Nazim of Liaquatabad, Dr Perveez Mehmood.

Acting on a tip-off, CTD officials conducted a raid near the Jumman Shah Bukhari shrine and arrested Syed Babar Ali alias Mota. The initial investigation revealed that he was involved in the killing of Mehmood, who was killed along with his friend in North Nazimabad on September 17, 2012. The suspect also admitted his involvement in extortion cases and transportation of illegal weapons.

On Wednesday, the paramilitary force claimed to have arrested 13 suspects, including a target killer, during raids in the city.

According to a Rangers spokesman, soldiers conducted a raid on a tip-off in North Nazimabad and arrested Asif alias Alto, who was allegedly associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L). He was said to be involved in various target killings of Lyari gangsters. Moreover, Wasim Iqbal, Abdur Rehman, Shahzaib, Noor Ali, Asad Ahmed, Samiuddun, Farooq, Haris, Mumtaz, Yousuf, Ghulam Nabi and Altaf Hussain were arrested in Aziz Bhatti, Al-Falah, Korangi, Ferozabad and Saudabad for their involvement in various street crime cases and drug peddling.