KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department on Saturday claimed to have arrested a suspected militant belonging to what it called the newly established Karachi chapter of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The law enforcers carried out a raid in the SITE area and arrested Hidayatullah, alias Maulana Abdul Hakeem.

“The held suspect is the in charge of educational affairs of the TTP-Karachi,” said a CTD statement.

It said that he was arrested while collecting donations/funds for the banned TTP. The police claimed to have recovered Rs6,000 and a receipt book from his possession.

DIG-CTD Asif Ejaz Sheikh told Dawn that less than two months ago, the outlawed TTP had announced that it had established its Karachi chapter, “TTP Karachi-State”.

He said that the banned group had also announced names of its cabinet and the held suspect Hidayatullah was designated as their minister for education.

Giving details about the held suspect, the CTD said that his father, Ghaus Mohammed, was killed during the Afghan war.

His brother, identified as Kifayatullah, had remained a close aide of the TTP-Swat chief Molvi Fazlullah.

The whereabouts of Kifayatullah had not been known after launching of the Swat operation.

On Friday, the CTD had arrested two suspects for their alleged involvement in collecting funds for the outlawed TTP in Sohrab Goth. It said that they were in ‘contact’ with the TTP leadership based in Afghanistan through social media networks and had recently returned from Waziristan.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2024