‘MQM-L hitman’ remanded in police custody

A special court on Monday remanded a suspected hitman of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) in police custody till May 18.

The suspect, Muhammad Shahzad alias Khajji, had been arrested by police in Malir on Sunday on charges of allegedly killing 18 people, including policemen, since 1994. According to the investigation officer (IO), the suspect was associated with the MQM-L and had obtained urban militancy training from the Indian spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

The IO said, during the initial interrogation, Shahzad had confessed to killing 18 people. He said that to collect evidence and complete the investigation, the suspect’s custody was required.

The judge approved the police request and placed Shahzad in police custody for a week and ordered the IO to present him before the anti-terrorism courts administrative judge on May 18.

According to the police, the suspect had joined the MQM in 1988 as a worker of its Shah Faisal Colony sector. He joined a team of hitmen led by Naeem alias Sharri in 1993. On October 17, 1994, the suspect along with his accomplices killed Sub-Inspector Muhammad Saleem and Constable Mohammad Ayub, and wounded DSP Mukhtar Ahmed Chaudhry.

Shahzad along with his accomplices also allegedly attacked and killed policemen who were patrolling near Raza Square in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. He kidnapped six people in Moosa Colony and tortured them to death on suspicion of being informers.

After the launch of the Karachi operation in 1996, the suspect went underground. Later on, he was sent to South Africa by the MQM and then to Delhi to seek militancy training from RAW. After returning to Karachi, he remained involved in murders and attempted murders of political and religious persons.

Initially, he had been booked under sections 4 and 5 of the Explosives Substances Act read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the Malir City police station.