KARACHI: The south zone police on Thursday claimed to have arrested eight suspected hit men allegedly belonging to a “famous political party of Karachi,” the Karachi-south DIG said.

Speaking at a press conference at his office, Dr Jamil Ahmed added that the held hit men had ‘confessed’ to killing at least one dozen people in different parts of the city.

The DIG-South said the suspects — Mohammed Kalam Bihari; Kamran, alias Kami; Adnan, alias Audi; Farhan; Haider Aijaz; Shahbaz; Syed Shahroz and Ateeb — were detained in the Lyari and Malir areas.

Two Kalashnikovs, two pistols, one car and several mobile phones were seized from their possession, he added.

They have allegedly killed people in Orangi Town, Pakistan Bazaar, Iqbal Market, Zaman Town, North Nazimabad and Nazimabad areas.

Asked about identity of the victims, Dr Jamil merely said that the suspects had no personal enmity with them (victims). Apart from targeted killings, they were involved in extortion and street crimes, he added.

He said that Mohammed Kalam Bihari and Haider Aijaz were “known target killers” while the rest were their accomplices.

Replying to a question, the DIG-South admitted that street crimes were a serious problem as there were many complaints of citizens specially in Clifton and Defence areas regarding it.

He added that he had given special task to SSP-South Dr Mohammed Farooq to control street crimes in Clifton and Defence and that a new police station, Sahil, had been set up for this purpose.

Dr Farooq said that street crimes were a more serious issue in South especially in Clifton and Defence than targeted killings.

He said over the past one month, the police had conducted targeted raids on almost daily basis and conducted search by closing entry and exit points in both localities and during these actions at least 45 criminals wanted in different crimes had been detained while three suspects were killed in ‘encounters’.

Moreover, 21 suspects were held red-handed in over 41 encounters that took place last month. The DIG-South said that besides street crimes, the so-called ‘VIP culture’ was also an issue for them as law-abiding citizens did not like it.

The crackdown on vehicles with tinted glasses, without official registration number plates and carrying personal guards had been started, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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