MQM hitman arrested on charges of murdering 96 people

KARACHI: The District East police on Wednesday announced the arrest of an alleged target killer who belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM) and is involved in more than 96 killings.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ghulam Asfar Mahesar of District East said in a media briefing that his Anti-Street Crime Squad and Soldier Bazaar police acting on a tip-off raided a locality in Solider Bazaar and after facing resistance arrested notorious target killer Yousuf alias Thehlay Wala. They claimed to have seized a hand grenade, a pistol and a motorcycle from his possession.

During initial interrogation, the suspect disclosed that he had murdered 96 people, SSP Mahesar said and added that the man had joined the MQM in 1995 and was recruited by unit incharge Khalid Siddiqui, who later took him to notorious target killer Nadeem Marble for a meeting. Yousuf was alleged to have been trained in handling weapons by Nadeem Marble.

The suspect disclosed that his first murder was of a Mohajir man who was targeted on suspicion of being an informer of law enforcers. Later, he along with his associates murdered 30 others and threw 66 dead bodies packed in gunny bags at different localities of the city. Investigations said that Yousuf targeted two Pakistan Army soldiers, who were also relatives, an Air Force official, a government employee, five workers of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi, six people on ethnic grounds, 12 people on suspicion of being informers, a person who had refused to give him extortion money and a passer-by. SSP Mahesar said that the suspect also disclosed that he along with his associates Nadeem Marble, Riaz Chacha, Azeem Chota and others murdered two brothers, Asif and Kashif, in the Hanifabad area upon suspicion of being informers. After the murder of the brothers, their mother became mentally ill and when they checked with police record it was found that an FIR was lodged by the Mominabad Police Station and several other FIRs were lodged against him, including on charges of extortion and kidnappings.

The suspect was formerly arrested by the Sindh Rangers during the year 1996 but he was later released on bail in 1997. He was again arrested in 1998 by the police and was jailed but during 2003 he was released from jail on parole. Afterwards, upon cancellation of parole he absconded.