FAISALABAD: Police claim to have smashed a gang of target killers comprising policemen and a proclaimed offender who have confessed to killing 19 people including a close associate of former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah.

City Police Officer Sohail Habib Tajik told a press conference that prime target killer Naveed alias Ali of Talwara, Wazirabad, along with former SHO Farrukh Waheed, constables Tahir and Najibullah, Faisal, Jehangir, Nafees, former union council nazim Anjum Niaz, Mian Ayaz, Farhan and Asif had formed a gang.

Police declared Farrukh Waheed proclaimed offender and the gang had gunned down 19 people after receiving heavy amounts. He said besides Ali, three other members of the gang -- Anjum Niaz, Tahir and Mohammad Tariq -- had been arrested with weapons and vehicles.

Sources told Dawn that target killings of Asghar Ali alias Bhola Gujjar, a close associate of Rana Sanaullah, and Zeeshan alias Shani, a supporter of Sanaullah, had prompted police to launch hunt for the killers. Shani was gunned down on Dec 9 last, a day after the killing of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf worker Haq Nawaz. The latter was killed at Novelty Bridge during a protest demonstration against the government.

Rana Sana’s aide among victims

On Jan 10, Bhola Gujjar, who was a former administrator of the Faisalabad market committee, and a driver of his friend were targeted near old Seeta Ram Temple by two armed motorcyclists.

Two other persons Khurram and Shaukat Jutt had met the same fate earlier. On Nov 10, 2012, Khurram was gunned down outside the residence of Shani. He was a key member of notorious Bajwa gang of Chak Jhumra. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had transferred the entire staff of the Jhumra and Sahianwala police stations for their failure to check crime.

Police examined the postmortem reports and modus operandi of criminals who targeted Bhola, Shani and others in the remit of the Factory Area police. During interrogation they detected communication between the criminals and some policemen. Following the clue, police picked up some suspects including their own colleagues.

Sources said the suspects revealed how the target killers had gunned down the people. They said police were initially reluctant to share information about the gang. They found former SHO Farrukh Waheed was leading the gang that also enjoyed blessings of some politicians.

Former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah, while speaking to this correspondent, said those involved in the killing of innocent people would not go unpunished. He said Bhola Gujjar was his political muscle and he would leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators to book.

He admitted that he would back Waheed as a policeman but said he did not know how he became a gangster.

Waheed went on leave till Feb 13 last as he had proceeded abroad but is yet to join his duty. As Jhang Bazaar SHO, he had gunned down five alleged robbers (two brothers and their cousins) in an encounter on Oct 26, 2011, saying the gang had struck at a CNG station on Rajbah Road.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2015

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