Police claim arresting MQM hitmen involved in killing former Liaquatabad Town nazim

Three suspects, including a worker of a political party’s militant wing, were arrested by the District Malir police on Saturday for their alleged involvement in various serious crimes, including the assassination of a former Liaquatabad Town Nazim.

The arrests were made during separate raids conducted in parts of Malir, including the Ghazi Town and Bakra Piri areas. The arrested suspects were identified as Abdur Rehman, Rahat Gul and Syed Bakhtawar Shah.

According to police, one of them, Rehman, during the initial course of interrogation admitted to his involvement in various cases of target killings, kidnappings and robberies, and stated that he belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)-London and he had joined the MQM in 2008 when it had not been divided in the factions of Pakistan and London.

The suspect reportedly revealed that he along with the party’s Gulbahar Sector member Aqeel, alias Buddha, played a role during the 2008 general elections in making the victory of the MQM candidate possible.

According to police, Rehman told them that he became a member of the MQM target killing team in 2011. He reportedly confessed his involvement in five cases of murders.

He reportedly told police that in July 2012, he attacked Awami National Party ward in-charge Fazal Kareem and Aslam Malang in Nazimabad locality.

He informed the interrogators that he along with his accomplices, including Faisal, targeted and killed former Liaquatabad Town nazim Dr Pervez Mehmood of the Jamaat-e-Islami in 2012 while he was travelling in his car in District Central of the city. Dr Mehmood’s driver was also killed in the attack

He said that the MQM sent him to Dubai on a visit visa and upon returning, he attacked Pakistan Peoples Party District Central President Imtiaz Khan in 2012, in which Khan and his companion were wounded.

Police also claimed to have recovered a hand grenade and weapons from the three suspects’ possession. Further investigations are under way.