KARACHI: Police on Saturday claimed to have arrested four suspected hitmen belonging to the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi who were involved in targeted killing of policemen, members of the Shia and Bohra communities and a deadly attack on a DSN of Samaa TV, said Central SSP Arif Aslam Rao.

They also killed traders over non-payment of extortion and also worked as hired assassins, added the senior officer. The police claimed that the suspects were planning “heinous crime” to sabotage the peace and their nefarious designs had been foiled.

Speaking at a press conference at his office, SSP Rao flanked by SSP for investigation, Central, Mohammed Tariq Nawaz said that on July 17 a man identified as Ajoli Khan was shot dead by a gunman riding a motorcycle within the remit of FB Industrial Area.

During investigation of the murder case, police arrested the victim’s wife, Shagufta, and her alleged lover Zar Wali with the help of modern technology.

They ‘confessed’ to having orchestrated the murder and on the basis of information provided by them, the police detained two more suspects — Gora Khan, alias Garhan, and Shahid Humayun, members of the banned outfit.

‘They were involved in killing policemen, Shias, traders, cameraman’

During preliminary investigation, the both suspects revealed that they killed Ajoli Khan. They also provided information about their other accomplices.

Acting on a tip-off, the police apprehended two more suspects — Mohammed Hashim and Mohammed Fahim, alias Moavia.

The Central SSP disclosed that Gora Khan, Fahim and Hashim were “active” members of the banned sectarian outfit while Shahid was an accomplice of Gora, alias Gurhan.

Fahim, alias Moavia, “confessed” to his involvement in targeted killing of two policemen, three members of the Shia and Bohra communities and a deadly attack on Samaa TV’s vehicle, killing a cameraman, and committing other heinous crimes.

Sharing details of the incident, the SSP said that the held suspect, Fahim Moavia, had admitted that he and his other accomplices were involved in the following heinous crimes:

Grenade attacks on police mobile and police officers near the Powerhouse Chowrangi whose case was registered at Khwaja Ajmair Nagri police station in year 2016; murder of police constable Munawwar at Landi Kotal Chowrangi in 2016; the killing of traffic police constable Mohammed Rashid at Five Star Chowrangi in 2016; the murder of Bohra community trader Hatim Feroz in North Nazimabad over non-payment of extortion in 2016 and killing of another trader near Erum Bakery over non-payment of extortion at Liaquatabad-4; the murders of two young men belonging to the Shia community near the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Taiser Town in 2016 and 2013 on sectarian grounds; a deadly attack on a DSN belonging to Samaa TV in North Nazimabad in which the channel’s assistant cameraman Mohammed Taimur was killed.

Apart from these targeted killings, the held suspects had also made “startling revelations” and the investigators were working on it.

Central SSP Arif Aslam Rao claimed that the arrested hitmen were planning to sabotage the peace in the city and the timely action of the police prevented the possible major act of terrorism.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2019