• DIG fears resurgence of proscribed organisations
• Terrorism case registered, probe handed over to CTD

KARACHI: Investigators probing the targeted killing of a traffic policeman on Wednesday suspected the involvement of a sleeper cell of some banned militant outfits.

On Tuesday, Constable Zain Ali Raza was gunned down by a lone assailant when he was on duty at a traffic post near the Mai Kolachi crossing within the remit of the Boat Basin police station.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the investigators were treating the incident as an act of terrorism.

He said they suspected involvement of sleeper cells of the militant organisations who had targeted law enforcers in the past.

He said they feared the ‘resurgence’ of such groups.

The DIG said a little-known group had claimed responsibility for the targeted attack.

He said that a terrorism case was registered and the investigation had been handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

Senior CTD official Raja Umer Khattab said that the group had claimed responsibility for the attack on a Telegram channel.

He said that the group’s Telegram channel was created on April 22 and it has 99 subscribers.

“In the past 22-23 posts, it has repeatedly referred to attackers as ‘mujahideen’ rather than naming any specific organisation,” he said, adding that the killing of the traffic policeman was also described as an “attack carried out by mujahideen”.

A case was registered under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 against unknown persons.

Inspector Mohammed Tariq Javed, the complainant, stated in the FIR that Constable Raza, 25, was performing duty at Mai Kolachi Phatak when a lone suspect shot him from behind and fled.

Slain constable laid to rest

The funeral prayers for the slain constable were held at Karachi Police Office.

City police chief Additional Inspector General Javed Odho, DIG-Traffic Pir Muhammad Shah and other senior officers attended his last rites.

Later, he was laid to rest at a local graveyard.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2025