ISLAMABAD: The joint operation of the capital police and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in Sihala yielded in the arrest of an alleged terrorist, affiliated with ‘Ansarul Ummah’, police claimed.

The police claimed that the arrested person is the commander of Ansarul Ummah, a front organisation of the banned outfit Harkatul Mujahideen founded by Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil, who was also operating a religious seminary in Islamabad.

Acting on a tip-off, a team comprising of Superintended of Police (SP) Mohammad Ilyas and SP Liaquat Niazi, along with officials of ISI, raided the area near Rawat and arrested the alleged terrorist, identified as Tayyab alias Omar Pagal, and also recovered a pistol from his possession, the police claimed.

Tayyab, who is in his early 20s, was an active commander of the organisation. He got militancy and terrorism training in Miran Shah. The alleged terrorist was stationed in Islamabad since October 2013, along with his other accomplices, including Shah Hussain alias Mansoor.

According to the police, the motive behind their stay in the outskirts of the capital was to conduct terrorism and target killing operation in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The police added that he was behind various terrorism activities, including a suicide attempt at Rawalpindi Iman Bargah, which killed a police officer, among other attacks in offices and houses in the surrounded areas of the capital.

The police also alleged that he supervised the collection of extortion from businessmen, on behalf of militant outfits, and also threatened them with dire consequences upon refusal to pay the extortion money.

The alleged terrorist was also found involved in smuggling illegal weapon and committing other crimes of heinous nature, the police claimed, adding that Tayyab was also an accomplice of nine other terrorists, who were arrested from various parts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad since January 2014.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2014

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.