KARACHI: The disclosure at a meeting on Saturday that nine of the total 14 assailants who killed 45 people of the Shia Ismaili community in the Safoora bus carnage are still at large set alarm bells ringing and prompted the Sindh police chief to assign the task of their arrest to a five-member committee.

Five suspects — Tahir Hussain Minhas, Saad Aziz, Hafiz Nasir alias Yasir, Mohammad Azhar Ishrat and Asad-ur-Rehman — are already in police custody for allegedly targeting the innocent people, including women, in an armed attack on a community bus near Safoora Goth on May 13.

Sources said that Inspector General of Police Ghulam Hyder Jamali chaired a meeting at the Central Police Office where he was informed that total 14 assailants took part in the attack and nine of them were still absconding.

The IGP formed a high-powered committee and also directed the city police to ensure extraordinary security measures at all public places, government/semi-government buildings, foreign missions and also provide full security cover to ‘vulnerable communities’.

The sources said that the five-member committee would be headed by the DIG-East and comprise the SSP of the Special Investigation Unit, the SSP-East, the SSP-Investigation (Malir) and an official of the Counter Terrorism Department.

A police spokesman also confirmed the formation of the committee by the IGP.

The meeting was told that two Kalashnikovs, three 9mm pistols, two cars and four motorcycles — all used in the Safoora carnage — had been seized on leads provided by the five held suspects. Seven laptop computers and half a kilo poisonous substance was also seized from them.

DIG-East Munir Shaikh told Dawn that the militant group consisted of total 30 militants and 14 of them had actually taken part in the bus attack.

‘Held suspects involved in 37 terrorism cases’

Speaking at a press conference at the CPO, DIG-South Dr Jamil Ahmed said that the five suspects also “confessed to their involvement” in 37 terrorism cases in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Of the 37 cases, 33 acts of terrorism were carried out in different areas of Karachi and four in Hyderabad.

Some of these cases pertained to killing of human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud, armed attack on American academic Dr Debra Lobo, attack on the Bohra community in Hyderabad and bomb attack on worshippers belonging to the Bohra community in Karachi’s Aram Bagh area and killings of a number of policemen.

Talking to Dawn, Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo said that the five-member body would not only be responsible for the arrest of the absconders but it would also investigate and legally pursue the cases against the held suspects.

The body can co-opt any other member, if needed, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2015

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