KARACHI: A day after the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed arresting a suspected commander of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an antiterrorism court (ATC) on Thursday remanded the suspect to judicial custody in a case pertaining to possessing illicit weapons and explosives.

On Thursday, the investigating officer (IO) of the case brought the suspect before the ATC judge in Clifton and requested for his physical remand for more probe. But the court rejected the IO’s request and remanded him in judicial custody as the IO failed to satisfy the court.

According to the CTD, they had received information that a commander of the TTP Darra Adam Khel, who was allegedly involved in multiple ‘terrorist incidents’, had been spotted near Makki Masjid in Ittehad Town.

Acting on a tip-off, the CTD arrested Shoaib Khan, alias Baba, and during the search recovered one Kalashnikov, two hand grenades, explosive material and one improvised explosive device from his possession.

On Wednesday, CTD DIG Asif Ejaz Shaikh claimed in a press conference that — said to be one of the ‘most-wanted commanders of the TTP’ — the suspect was allegedly involved in many heinous crimes, including the murder of 16 miners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He was planning a suicide attack on a procession scheduled in Orangi Town for Muharram 7.

“Shoaib is a commander of the TTP Darra Adam Khel for whose arrest the KP government has announced a Rs2 million reward,” he said, adding that he had kidnapped 16 coal miners in Khyber Agency and demanded ransom from their families. Over non-payment of the ransom, the suspect shot dead all 16 miners and buried them in a mass grave in Gul Tangi Jawaki area.

The held suspect’s son, Zakaullah, along with other TTP men, was shot dead in an encounter with the army, the officer said. “He is the most-wanted militant by the KP police, CTD and other law enforcers.”

Two separate FIRs were registered against him under sections 23(1) of the Sindh Arms Act 2013, 4/5 of the Explosive Substance Act read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 at the CTD station Civil Line.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2024