KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have killed two suspected militants, said to be associated with the outlawed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, in an encounter in the Shershah area in the small hours of Sunday morning.

“In an intelligence-based operation on Akbar Road, the CTD gunned down two LJ militants — Hafiz Qasim Rasheed and Usman Qureshi,” according to a press release.

It said that the duo was involved in the assassination of CTD DSP Ali Raza on July 7, 2024 in Karimabad.

The CTD press release said that one Kalashnikov, two pistols, three grenades, ball bearings, detonator, wires and list of possible targets were recovered from them.

Senior CTD official Raja Umer Khattab told Dawn that Qasim Rasheed was arrested four times in the past in 35 cases pertaining to targeted killings of political workers, law enforcers. He said he remained behind bar for 12 years.

He said that he was arrested last year for his alleged involvement in the targeted killing of famous qawwal Amjad Sabri, but was released from prison on bail in a few months.

After being released from prison, he became the chief of the banned LJ’s Karachi chapter, but later merged the outfit into the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said, adding that he had planned assassination of DSP Ali Raza as well as seven others including four officials of the CTD.

About DSP Raza’s killing, the CTD official said that both the killed suspect did recce of the slain officer who used to come to Karimabad on a daily basis to meet his friends.

He said that suspect Qureshi had become a roadside vendor and set up his pushcart around 100 meters away from the place where the slain DSP used to sit with his friends. On the day of his assassination, he had provided the weapon to Qasim Rasheed, he added.

He said that on Sept 29, suspects Naeem and Hamza were arrested from the Cantonment Railway Station when they arrived from Multan. After grilling, they disclosed to their involvement in carrying out DSP’s recce and provided vital information about the whereabouts of Qasim and Qureshi, he added.

Mr Khattab said that the slain DSP was targeted because of sectarian motives, as well as owing to an enmity between him and the LJ militant Rasheed.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2024