KARACHI: Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested another suspect named as an alleged facilitator in the Perween Rahman murder case.

Prime suspect Raheem Swati had named Ayaz Swati as the person who facilitated the killing of the director of the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) in 2013.

SSP Investigation (West) Zeeshan Siddiqi said that during the course of investigations Raheem Swati told investigators that Ayaz was actively involved in the planning of Ms Rahman’s killing.

He lived near the OPP office and once contested the local government elections as an independent candidate.

“After his name came in the investigation he approached a court for obtaining pre-arrest bail,” said SSP Siddiqi. “The bail was granted. Today, [on Tuesday] his bail was cancelled by the honourable court, paving the way for police to arrest him.”

He said that the suspect was taken into custody and would be produced before a court of law for remand.

Two killed, five hurt in Lyari gunfight

A builder and a suspect were killed and five others wounded during an exchange of gunfire in Lyari on Tuesday.

Police said two armed men — later identified as brothers Fazal Dad and Mobin alias Bobby who allegedly belonged to the notorious Raja Pathan gang — came to the office of a local builder, Rozi Khan, in Street No. 6, Nayabad near Ali Mohammad Hotel and demanded ‘protection money’ from him.

The two sides had an altercation that let to a gunfight, they added.

“The suspects pulled out pistols and fired shots that attracted reaction from the armed guards of Rozi Khan,” said City SP Adeel Chandio. “The gunfire triggered fear and panic in the densely-populated area which houses mainly residential places and a few commercial facilities.”

He said the firing left some seven people wounded, including a woman passer-by. They all were shifted to the Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, where two of them died, he added.

The dead were identified as 28-year-old Raees Khan, a son of the builder, and suspect Fazal Dad, the SP said, adding that his brother Mobin also sustained bullet wounds and was arrested by the police from the hospital.

Police sources said that the Pathan gang was actively involved in taking extortion in the area despite the ongoing targeted operation in the city.

They said that the builder was recently asked to pay Rs1 million for continuing his “safe business operations”.

The deadly episode has exposed the government’s tall claims about an improved law and order situation in the metropolis.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2017