KARACHI: A militant of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi allegedly involved in the targeted killing of policemen, members of the Shia community and TV channel employees was arrested on Friday, said SSP-Central Muqadas Haider.

Mohammed Sarfraz was arrested in Federal B Industrial Area a few months after his two accomplices Saqib and Naveed had been held, the police officer added.

The held suspect “confessed” to killing three policemen, three employees of Express News channel and three Shia community members, including a father and son, the officer said.

He explained that the police acting on a tip-off raided a place opposite Qubba Masjid in Block-21 of F.B Industrial Area in the early hours of Friday morning and arrested Sarfraz. He said his two accomplices had been arrested a few months back by the Rizvia police.

Asked why the LJ militants targeted the employees of the TV channel, the SSP said the held suspect told the police that they had been given directions by their leadership in the LJ but had never been informed about motive for the targeted killings.

The police officer said the LJ had formed two teams of hitmen for targeting policemen and Shia community members in Nazimabad and other areas of Karachi Central and West districts.

He disclosed that Sarfraz was apprehended as part of targeted actions launched against the banned militant outfits following the assassination of renowned Qawwal Amjad Sabri in Liaquatabad. The Federal B Industrial Area police registered a case against the held suspect under various sections of the Sindh Arms Act and Explosive Act.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2016