KARACHI: Police’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Monday claimed to have arrested five suspects involved in sectarian killings in the metropolis.

Speaking at press conference at CTD Civil Lines, the senior officer claimed the held suspects were involved in killings of religious scholars, doctors and prominent personalities on sectarian grounds and were planning to target ‘prominent religious scholars’ before Eidul Azha.

"They were allegedly involved in targeted killings of Mufti Ghulam Akbar, Mufti Kamran Husain, Hafiz Mohammad Sajid, Dr. Fazlur Rehman, Maulana Yasir and others."

"Arrested suspects are foreign trained," additional inspector general of police, CTD, Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi said.

“Karachi has become a battlefield for proxy war of foreign countries who wanted to destabilise Pakistan generally and Karachi particularly,” elaborated the counter-terror force chief.

Abbasi said the CTD has “spotted” such elements who planned to recruit the people and send them abroad for training.

"One of the suspect's is a master mind of sectarian killings," he claimed, adding that he was born in Sukkur and migrated to Karachi and has done his masters in economics.

Sharing the initial investigation report of the held suspects, the CTD Sindh chief said that the gang of militants had killed Hafiz Sajid, owner of My Choice Bakery in Shah Faisal Colony, because the victim had served as a “guard” of Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqi.

He further added the suspects had also recently gunned down Mufti Kamran and Mufti Ghulam Akbar inside a seminary in Gulshan-i-Iqbal who were affiliated with the banned Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaat

The suspects also confessed to their involvement in killing of homeopathic doctor Fazlur Rehman recently in the Landhi area over sectarian ground.

Moreover, the suspects were also involved in the murder of Maulana Habib Rehman, who was gunned down in Gulistan-i-Jauhar earlier this year.

The held suspects have also revealed their involvement in targeting Maulana Muhammad Yasir last year in February in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

This gang of sectarian militants was also involved in targeted killings of two brothers, identified as Mohammad Tauseef and Mohammad Tanveer who were “active” members of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi in Khokhrapar.

Earlier in 2013, the suspects also gunned down Esa Baloch near Russian consulate in Clifton over suspicion of him being affiliated with Jundullah.

Furthermore, this group targeted Qari Ghulam Sarwar outside a seminary in Block-19, F B Area in limits of Samanabad police in “revenge” of killing of Allama Taqi Hadi in year 2013, revealed the CTD Sindh head.

Earlier in year 2012, the gang members also gunned down Muhammad Imran in New Karachi who was associated with banned Sipah Sahaba Pakistan.