Four ‘RAW agents’ belonging to political party arrested

Published August 28, 2015
Counter-Terrorism Department SSP Naveed Ahmed Khuwaja speaking at a press conference on Thursday.—PPI
Counter-Terrorism Department SSP Naveed Ahmed Khuwaja speaking at a press conference on Thursday.—PPI

KARACHI: Police on Thursday claimed to have detained four suspects, including a government official, who were trained by the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to carry out terror attacks in Pakistan to ‘disturb the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’.

The suspects had also planned to carry out terror attacks during Muharram-ul-Haram and assassinate lawmakers in Karachi, said Counter-Terrorism Depar­tment SSP Naveed Ahmed Khuwaja while speaking at a press conference at his office.

Having connections with criminal groups based in South Africa and other countries, the suspects belonged to a political party, the officer said.

The police also seized from their possession a ‘palmtop’ and other documentary evidence exposing the extent of RAW’s involvement in Pakistan.


Plan to damage China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, cause sectarian unrest foiled


“There are certain bank accounts through which RAW tended to send money to enhance terrorism in Pakistan and operators of these accounts have been traced who hopefully would be arrested soon,” said the CTD official.

They were arrested in a joint operation carried out by CTD’s investigation unit and a security agency.

The officer said one of the suspects, Mohammad Shafiq Khan, alias Pappu, was an employee of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board. Other suspects were Abdul Jabbar, alias Zafar Tension, Mohsin Khan, alias Kashif, alias Zeeshan, alias Hassan, and Khalid Aman, alias Dad, who got married in India.

“They have disclosed that they have been involved in different terror activities in Karachi and got training from the Indian agency RAW,” said the SSP.

He added that the suspects got training from RAW between 1995 and 2002.

According to the officer, they had made two botched attempts on the life of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed and in one of the attempts, his three guards had been killed.

SSP Khuwaja said the suspects had visited different cities of India such as Basantpur, Dehradun, Jodhpur and Faridpur and got training from RAW on handling weapons and hand grenades besides physical training. “One person, Javed Langra, looked after them in India and also provided them complete logistics support,” he said.

The officer quoted Abdul Jabbar, alias Zafar Tension, as telling the interrogators that after completion of physical training in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, he (suspect) returned to Delhi where Javed Langra directed him to go to Pakistan and assassinate ‘political figure’, Afaq Ahmed, in Karachi.

In 1997, he explained, one Tariq Zaidi, alias Sunny, along with Shafiq Pappu met Zafar Tension at Basantpur and asked him to transport explosive material (two kilograms) to Pakistan to make an attempt on the life of Afaq Ahmed. Mr Ahmed survived the attempt, he said.

Zafar Tension ‘confessed’ that he made the attempt on life of Afaq Ahmed along with Ajmal Pahari, Arshad Chhota, Safdar, Zeeshan and Nura after crossing the border.

In the same year, Tariq Zaidi also transferred money through Hundi, which was delivered to Shafiq Pappu to procure weapons from Lahore.

“RAW officials, Major Bhagat and Major Rathore, supervised these training sessions in India,” said the CTD official.

“The main task assigned to these suspects was targeted killings and political killings.

“They have also planned to carry out a series of bomb blasts at Shah-i-Khurasan Imambargah and other Imambargahs in Ancholi and Rizvia during the forthcoming Muharram-2015 to create chaos, anarchy and sectarian problem in the city,” said the CTD SSP.

Tariq Zaidi directed Zafar Tension through a ‘messenger’ to carry out the terror acts during Muharram. “They also planned to assassinate different MNAs and MPAs, local leaders of political and religious parties and police officers,” added the officer.

In 2000, Mohsin Khan, alias Kashif, had visited India where he received two-year training to carry out killings on political grounds in Karachi, said SSP Khuwaja.

“The held suspects also confessed to their involvement in a series of explosions in Orangi Town in 2008, which claimed lives of three persons and injuries to 25 others,” said the CTD official.

“These bomb blasts had been organised by RAW,” he added.

Shafiq Khan alias Pappu confessed that with the help of Javed Langra and Tariq Zaidi, he had brought a huge quantity of explosive material from India via a sea route and crossing border in the year 2000, according to the police officer.

The SSP quoted the suspects as disclosing that they along with Raees alias Mama attempted to kill Afaq Ahmed on a direction of their ‘high command’ in 2012. Three workers of MQM-H namely Aleem Ahmed Khan, Zafar Qaimkhani and Abdul Qadir Jilani were killed while Afaq Ahmed escaped the attack in Sharafi Goth, he said.

“The held suspects have connections with criminal groups based in South Africa, India, London, Dubai and Malaysia,” said the officer.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2015

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