KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Wednesday claimed to have gathered crucial information from three held suspects, who had allegedly been working for an intelligence agency of a neighbouring country.

CTD DIG Saqib Ismail Memon had recently announced arrests of Syed Yusuf, Syed Akbar and Syed Masoom who were allegedly involved in targeted killings, attempted murders and fundraising for terror activities.

Sharing contents of the initial probe, CTD Additional IG Dr Sanaullah Abbasi said Yusuf originally hailed from Jhang. He shifted to Karachi where he received both modern and religious education.

“Yusuf had also travelled to Kashmir and Afghanistan. He was arrested in Afghanistan and remained incarcerated there for five years. The initial probe revealed that he was paid huge money and he had opened a firm in Malaysia to sell cooking oil,” the police officer added.

“Masoom originally hailed from Lahore. He also moved to Karachi and received religious education from a seminary. Whereas, Akbar belonged to Karachi and he was an employee of the KMC,” Mr Abbasi said.

“Their activities included monitoring activities of the citizens of a neighbouring country who were objecting to its regime and were living in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi, and killing a few of them.

“During the preliminary probe, the held suspects confessed to their involvement in the targeted killing of Mohammad Salman in 2014, who was a professor in the neighbouring country.

“The professor was first shot at and wounded near his residence in Clifton at Do Talwar and later on, he was gunned down shortly after he was discharged from a private hospital in Soldier Bazaar area.

“The suspects told the interrogators that they were also tasked with assassinating dissidents living in Karachi, Quetta and Turbat,” Dr Abbasi said.

The CTD chief disclosed that they had even opened an office in the PECHS area for the purpose of raising funds for their activities.

“We have written a letter to the State Bank of Pakistan requesting it to provide us details about their accounts. We are also looking into certain seminaries, which are allegedly involved in financing terrorism. Such seminaries will be prosecuted and put under surveillance.

“Their arrests prove presence of international [elements] in terrorist activities in the country. International and regional cooperation is imperative to eliminate the menace,” the police officer concluded.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2018