LAHORE: The arrest of six corporals of the Counter Terrorism Department Multan by the Sindh police in the wake of killing of two most wanted terrorists of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Al Qaeda (Umar Kundi Group) during an encounter carried out in the jurisdiction of Sindh province has created a certain degree of tension between the two forces.

The Sukkur police also registered a murder case while nominating the arrested personnel of the Multan CTD in the FIR, taking a plea that they had not intimated them while chasing the alleged terrorists in their area.

The armed personnel of the CTD Punjab from Multan crossed the boundary and entered Sindh some days back during a hot pursuit of alleged terrorists, including proclaimed offenders of Red Book Saeed Ahmad alias Nadeem and Asad alias Hashim.

Sukkur police booked Multan CTD personnel for hot pursuit without intimation

The CTD team was chasing them from Rahim Yar Khan and asked them to surrender in Pannu Aqil near Sukkur, a senior police official told Dawn.

However, he said, as the suspects challenged the police personnel and started firing, the CTD team retaliated which led to an armed encounter between the two sides.

As a result, two terrorists were later found killed, the police official said. He added that on hearing heavy gunshots, the Sukkur police rushed to the spot and rounded up the personnel.

On inquiring, the personnel introduced them as members of the CTD Multan, he said adding that the senior officials of Sukkur police brought the matter to the notice of their senior command alleging that such “encounters” were happening frequently in Sindh areas.

After some time, the Sukkur police arrested and lodged a case against them for carrying out the encounter without prior intimation, he said.

The official said the Punjab police high-ups took up the matter with those of Sindh and shared particulars and crime record of the terrorists.

They further informed the Sindh police that the terrorists were killed in firing by their own accomplices during a hot pursuit by the CTD personnel.

A spokesperson for the CTD Punjab told this reporter that a team had gone there in hot pursuit to arrest the terrorists included in Red Book.

“A Red Book proclaimed offender can be followed in hot pursuit from Punjab to any province in the interest of public safety and peace,” he said.

According to the Criminal Record Office (CRO), the Red Book PO Saeed was involved in several acts of terrorism including murder of DSP Tariq Kamboh in Lahore and killing of 13 people in attack on an Imambargah in Sheikhupura.

In 2000, he had also killed a source person (an active member of the LeJ) of the CTD in Kahna, Lahore, and injured DSP Muratab Hussain Shah in a hand grenade attack in Gulshan-i-Iqbal in 2002.

“Now he was re-organising Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in South Punjab to attack LEAs personnel to avenge the killing of terrorist Malik Ishaq,” he said.

Similarly, Asad alias Hashim was involved in many acts of terrorism including kidnapping for ransom to raise money for Al Qaeda (Umar Kundi Group), the spokesperson said adding that he was a main member of the banned group.

He said Asad was a resident of Faisalabad and had kidnapped traders Haji Siddique (owner of a spinning mill) and Mian Bashir Ahmad for ransom in 2010 and 2009, respectively.

In 2009, he had also killed, Laiq Ahmad, a member of Ahmadi community, besides carrying out terrorist activities in various parts of the province.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2019