RAWALPINDI: The Punjab police claimed to have busted a gang allegedly involved in sectarian target killings by arresting two of its active members.

Regional Police Officer (RPO) Akhter Umar Hayat Laleka at a press conference identified the two members of the Hussaini Tigers gang as Adil Abbas, alias Abbasu, of Mohallah Doctor Jalal Shah Haideri Chowk and Ghulam Mujtaba, alias Janu, from Mohallah Bora Shah, Nazar Hussaini, Dera Ismail Khan.

He said the two suspects also confessed to killing Mufti Amanullah, the deputy caretaker of Taleemul Quran seminary, Raja Bazaar, on Sunday last and 25 leaders of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) in Punjab.

“With the arrest of these two target killers, the police would soon break up the network involved in the recent target killing of religious figures and leaders in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad,” the RPO added.

Flanked by SP Rawal Division Karamatullah Malik, RPO Laleka said the increasing incidents of target killings in the twin cities in particular and in the country in general was fanning sectarianism in the country.

He said the suspects had targeted several active leaders and activists of ASWJ during 2014.

“Though the group members were active in D.I. Khan and Bhakkar, the arrest of the two suspects will help the police reach other members of the gang,” he said.

He said keeping the situation in view, a special team, comprising the SP Rawal division, SP investigation Mohammad Haroon Joya, SHO Banni Nadim Zafar, SHO Pirwadhai Jahangir Bhatti, IT lab ASI Mazhar Qadri and head constable Ijaz, was formed to nab the target killers. The team managed to catch the two target killers of the gang. In reply to a question, Mr Laleka said the police had been conducting search operations in almost all parts of the city, including Dhamial Road, to purge these areas of anti-social elements.

He said so far 364 search operations had been carried out during which about 150 Afghan nationals were booked under the Foreign Act while cases were also filed against 200 others. A comprehensive security plan has also been devised by the police in coordination with traders and the citizens belonging to different schools of thought, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2014