KARACHI: Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, informed an antiterrorism court on Saturday about the 90-day preventive detention of two suspected hitmen, said to be associated with a political party, for questioning.

The paramilitary soldiers along with their legal team produced the two suspects — Akbar Hussain alias Kala and Konain Hyder Rizvi — in the chamber of Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso of the ATC-I amid tight security.

The MQM, meanwhile, said that Akbar Hussain was a party worker who was picked up from his Federal B Area residence some 15 days ago and today “falsely implicated in the killing of Haq Parast lawmakers”.

A Rangers law officer, through an application, stated that the suspects were picked up in Gulshan-i-Maymar upon receiving credible information about their involvement in targeted killings and other offences which came with the ambit of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Therefore, he informed the court that they were placed under three-month preventive detention under Section 11-EEEE of the ATA for an inquiry.

In compliance with Section 11 EEEE (3) of the ATA, the detainees were produced along with their detention orders and jail warrants for the information of the court, he added.

While the Rangers did not mention any specific charges against the two suspects before the ATC judge, a spokesman for the paramilitary force claimed in a statement that the duo were affiliated with a political party and one of them was involved in the killing of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmakers in 2010 and 2013.

The spokesman said that suspect Akbar Hussain was allegedly involved in 12 cases of targeted killings, including the assassination of two members of provincial assembly, Raza Haider and Sajid Qureshi.

The suspect was also involved in four cracker attacks on the MQM camps during the 2013 general election in Azizabad, Nazimabad, Mukka Chowk and Yousuf Plaza, he said, adding that he carried out such acts “on direction of MQM (A) leadership for getting public sympathy”.

About the second suspect, the spokesman said that Konain Hyder Rizvi was allegedly involved in seven targeted killings as well as extortion and arson attacks during strikes.

MQM MPA Raza Haider was targeted in a mosque on Aug 2, 2010. Another MPA, Sajid Qureshi, along with his young son was gunned down outside a mosque in North Nazimabad on June 21, 2013.

Soon after the two killings, a spokesman for the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan had claimed the responsibility of both attacks.

In 2010, police had arrested two suspected militants of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and claimed that they were involved in the killing of MPA Haider.

Four other LJ suspects were also arrested in July 2013 for their involvement in killing MPA Qureshi.

Meanwhile, the Rangers also informed on Saturday another ATC about three-month preventive custody of two more suspects on similar grounds for grilling.

The Rangers said that Kamran Munna alias Tarang and Imran were picked up in a New Karachi area during the ongoing targeted operation.

MQM reaction

Speaking at a press conference, MQM leader Syed Shahid Pasha said that “innocent party workers” were being falsely implicated in the killing of MPAs Sajid Qureshi and Raza Haider despite the fact that law enforcement agencies had arrested militants of banned outfits for the two murders.

“Our worker Akbar Hussain was arrested from his house in Federal B Area 15 days ago and now he is being falsely implicated for the murders of our MPAs,” he said.

He said that the MQM was taking action against the criminal elements in the party, but certain quarters were not allowing the party to continue its political activities.

Published in Dawn October 4th, 2015

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