HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad police on Friday claimed to have arrested a “former activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, Shahid Abbasi alias Dancer” and described him as the main suspect involved in the murder of senior party activist Dr Naushad on October 25.

The Rangers in a statement also issued on Friday claimed to have arrested an activist of the MQM-London “involved in supplying illegal arms to various sectors of the party”.

Hyderabad DIG Javed Alam Odho, along with Hyderabad SSP Pir Mohammad Shah, shared details of Shahid Dancer’s record and his arrest. He said according to the investigation held so far, Dancer killed Dr Naushad over some personal issues and not with a political motive.

“The held activist is a former sector in-charge in MQM-P’s organisational structure. He was earlier acquitted in a case pertaining to the murder of Saleem Inquilabi, another MQM activist who was gunned down in November 2004,” the DIG said, adding that he was released on bail on Oct 5 in a double murder case.

The victims were identified as Jehangir Parhiar and Pyar Ali Samoon.

The DIG said that Dancer was recognised with the help of CCTV (closed-circuit television camera) footage and the information shared with police by people.

“Shahid Dancer is involved in 16 different criminal cases,” he said.

He said he had recommended a reward of Rs100,000 and commendation certificate for the police team that resolved the Dr Naushad murder case.

A police source said that great efforts were involved in the arrest of Shahid Dancer as he kept changing locations, including Tando Mohammad Khan, Sanghar and Korangi [Karachi], to escape arrest since having committed the murder. They said the suspect might have failed to find a proper place to hide because his identity was established through the CCTV footage.

Another police source said that the suspect was finally picked up from the Lyari area of Karachi.

He told the police during interrogation that for one day, he stayed on the premises of the Hyderabad Civil Hospital, yet another source in police said.

MQM-L suspect

KARACHI: The Pakistan Ran­gers, Sindh, on Friday claimed to have arrested an activist of the MQM-London, Mohammed Adnan Qureshi, in the Gulberg area of the metropolis.

“The held suspect used to provide illegal weapons to members of different sectors linked with Nine Zero [the now closed headquarters of the Altaf Hussain-led MQM],” said a spokesman for the paramilitary force. Besides, he said, the suspect was also involved in extortion, wall-chalking and other crimes including harassing people to enforce strikes.

In other such actions, a dozen other suspects were arrested by Rangers personnel. They included an Afghan national, Fitratullah, who was arrested in the Sohrab Goth area for entering and staying in the country illegally.

The 11 other suspects were rounded up in different actions for their involvement in street crimes and drugs-related offences, the spokesman said.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2017