MQM-London hitman facing 41 murder charges remanded in police custody

The anti-terrorism courts’ administrative judge remanded on Monday a suspected target killer, Sajid alias Bona, in police custody for four days in cases pertaining to possessing illicit weapon and explosives.

Police told the judge that the suspect, said to be an employee of the government’s health department, was allegedly involved in the killings of 41 people, including government officials and workers of political parties.

They added that 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 had on Sunday said that the 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 Sajid had been involved in targeted killings since 1995 when he murdered a policeman, Nabi Bukhsh. 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 suspect was already booked in several cases in different police stations, including those of Jamshed Quarters and PIB Colony.

The SSP said the suspect admitted 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 carrying out 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 seized a hand grenade and two 30-bore pistols hidden in a location in Jamshed Quarters with the help of information provided by the suspect.