KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of police on Wednesday conducted a search at a seminary in the SITE area, which was allegedly linked with a Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘commander’, and detained its head along with six other suspects for interrogation.

The law enforcers were examining record of the seminary, CTD officials said, adding that the seminary’s source of funding would also be checked.

CTD SSP (Intelligence) Omar Shahid Hamid told Dawn that they would write a letter to the relevant authorities recommending them to seal the seminary as it belonged to TTP ‘commander’ Mufti Shakir.

Speaking at a press conference at his office, the SSP said their team along with district administration and district police conducted the search at Al-Kareem Islamic Academy, situated in Hyder Chali, SITE.

He said the seminary was established in 2009 by TTP commander Mufti Shakir, who had been responsible for the killing of a number of police officials in districts Central and West, including CTD SP Chaudhry Aslam, in 2013 and 2014. 

Besides, Mufti Shakir was the mastermind behind the group of militants who were planning major terror attacks in Karachi. The group was ‘neutralised’ by the CTD on Aug 7 when three suspected militants belonging to the outfit were killed in an encounter in Machhar Colony, said SSP Hamid. 

Brother of TTP ‘commander’ along with six other suspects picked up for interrogation

“He [Mufti Shakir] is also suspected to be behind at least one group that is involved in the killing of policemen in Karachi,” believed the senior officer.

He said seven suspects, including the seminary head (who is a brother of the TTP commander), were picked up and were being interrogated.

Speaking to Dawn, Additional IGP Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, who heads the CTD in Sindh, said they would ascertain the seminary record. All the financial transactions related to the seminary would be investigated. 

“What is taught is also being checked,” said Dr Abbasi, adding that the CTD’s financial crime unit was also affiliated with investigation.

Afghanistan link

The CTD chief believed that Mufti Shakir was presently living in Afghanistan. Arrested by the Karachi police some years ago, he got bail by submitting “fake documents” in court, said Dr Abbasi.

The investigation was under way to ascertain how he got bail based on ‘fake documents’, he added.

Born in Pathan Colony of SITE in 1981, Mufti Shakir got basic education from the KMC school in the locality before joining a known seminary to memorise the Quran between 1992 and 1996, CTD papers showed. 

HuM, JM, TTP

The CTD documents stated that he developed links with Harkatul Mujahideen (HuM) on direction of his companions at the seminary in 1996. In 1999, Mufti Shakir went to Mansehra where he got militancy training as per CTD assessment.

After training, he left the HuM and joined Jaish-i-Mohammad in 2000. The following year he was given the certificate qualifying him as a religious scholar and he got married in 2002.

It was in 2012 that Mufti Shakir joined the outlawed TTP Khyber Agency (Khalifa Umer Munawar group) on the instigation of the then TTP Karachi chief Azizullah.

According to the CTD, Mufti Shakir along with his companions gunned down a police constable, Mehboob Ali, in the SITE area in 2013. The same year Mufti Shakir and his companions attacked other policemen but in an exchange of fire one of his accomplices, later identified as Abdullah, was wounded. He managed to get treatment in the city.

The CTD said Mufti Shakir along with his brother had established Al-Kareem Islamic Academy School in SITE in 2009.

SSP Shahid told Dawn that they would write a letter to the authorities concerned on Thursday with the recommendation to seal the seminary as it belonged to the TTP commander.

Sanaullah Abbasi said they had already sent a list of 94 seminaries believed to have links with terrorists/terrorism.

“Owners of these seminaries will be put on Fourth Schedule,” said the CTD Sindh chief, adding that they would be audited.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2017