LAYYAH, July 16: A police team investigating the Saleem Shahzad murder case raided a house in a village near here and arrested a man whose mobile phone card (SIM card) was reportedly used for communicating with the slain journalist, sources said on Saturday.

Khadim Hussain, 35, was picked up from Srishta Nashaib, 18km from here, on Friday evening.

An uncle of the accused, Ghulam Akbar, told Dawn that gunmen wearing plain clothes introduced themselves as personnel of Islamabad police and said the SIM (subscriber identity module) card registered in Hussain’s name had been used for communicating with Mr Shahzad.

Mr Akbar said his family was not sure about the identity of the raiding team. So they immediately informed the local police who ordered a general alert in the area. The raiding team was soon intercepted by policemen at a picket on Multan-Mianwali Road.

Subsequently, Javed Hussain, the leader of the team and sub-inspector of Islamabad police, lodged a report with the Kot Sultan police and formally arrested Khadim Hussain in case number 89/11 dated June 12, 2011 under sections 324/427, ¾ Explosives Act, 109 PPC registered by the Secretariat police station, Islamabad.

Assistant Superintendent of Islamabad police Dr Khalil Ahmed rushed to Layyah on Saturday morning along with record of the case. The accused was produced before Magistrate Khuda Yar along with the record.

The Islamabad police told the magistrate that a SIM card bearing number 0307-7431354, registered in the name of Khadim Hussain, was used in the case that pertained to various anti-terrorism sections. The magistrate awarded a ‘travel remand’ of the accused to Islamabad police.

Meanwhile, Mr Hussain denied his involvement in any terrorist act. He said he had never visited Islamabad. He claimed that his SIM card was blocked about a year ago and that he got another card issued with the same phone number.