KARACHI, Nov 13: Police on Wednesday produced before newsmen a suspected terrorist and identified him as Mohammad Asif alias Asif Shadmanwala claiming that he was arrested on Tuesday evening by a special team comprising Garden and Nabi Bakhsh police. His appearance was quite different from the sketch released and publicised earlier by the law enforcing agencies.

The ASP, Syed Ali Mohsin, told a press conference at Garden police station that the team, acting upon a reliable tip-off, raided the Government Officers Colony, Garden, and arrested the suspect. The TPO of Saddar Town was also present on the occasion. The newsmen were shown three parcel bombs, two pistols and three grenades which, the ASP said, were recovered from Shadmanwala’s possession when he was caught. The suspect told newsmen on a query that he had been given the arms and explosives by Akram Lahori, the notorious ring-leader of a militant sectarian organization already in police custody.

Giving details about Shadmanwala’s background, the ASP revealed that the suspect had remained associated with the defunct sectarian organization, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan. Later, he joined Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, a militant offshoot of the SSP, he added.

The suspect has been booked under the Explosive Act and illegal possession of arms, Mr Mohsin told newsmen saying that his arrest had not yet been linked to the three parcel bomb explosions that had occurred at the offices of the DIG Operations, Civil Lines Investigations and Home Secretary.

According to the police records, Shadmanwala studied at the Mass Communication Department of the University of Karachi but was dropped out without completing his final year studies.

Responding to the newsmen’s flurry of questions, Shadmanwala denied his involvement in any subversive activities but confessed that he was in possession of arms and explosives delivered to him by Akram Lahori. He further revealed that he and some of his associates had been at the initial stage of planning some sort of subversive act when nabbed by police.

To a question about Asif Ramzi, Shadmanwala said that Ramzi had parted ways with Lahori following differences between them over organizational affairs. He said that Ramzi was now operating separately.

Disclosing part of his own career as a journalist, Shadmanwala said that he did work for a newspaper for a short period of time. However, he added, he got fed up with yellow journalism and switched over to ‘practical’ job by joining the student wing of the SSP.