KARACHI: A suspected militant belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, who was allegedly involved in a bomb attack on a Muttahida Qaumi Movement election office, was killed in an encounter in Orangi Town in which two policemen and a passerby also suffered injuries, police officials said.

Police took action after their Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) received a tip-off about the presence of militants named Mohammad Khan, Lucky Marwat, Naimat, Shera and Matiullah at a dera (guesthouse) in Mianwali Colony of Orangi Town in the jurisdiction of the Pirabad police station.

As the police encircled the guesthouse, the suspects opened fire on them, wounding two policemen and a passerby. Police retaliated and in the exchange of fire, a suspect, Mohammad Khan, who owned the dera, was killed and his accomplice Naimat was held after he fell injured while the others escaped, said the CTD Intelligence Wing SSP Amir Farooqi.

The officer said that the wounded policemen, Sajid and Shahzad, were admitted to the Aga Khan Hospital, where their condition was stated to be out of danger. The passerby, Mujeeb, received minor wounds in a hand and was discharged from the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital after first aid.

The SSP believed that Mohammad Khan belonged to the TTP (Abid Muchhar group) and was involved in a motorcycle bomb attack on the MQM’s election office in Nusrat Bhutto Colony in North Nazimabad on April 26, 2013.

He had fitted explosive material in the bike and parked it outside a shop near the election camp. Five people were killed and 10 were wounded in the explosion.

The TTP had claimed responsibility for the deadly attack and vowed at that time to target all secular parties such as the Pakistan Peoples Party, Awami National Party and the MQM.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2016