KOHAT: Arif Kaka, a former militant who had surrendered to security forces, was shot dead by assailants in the Shni Kalay area of Darra Adamkhel on Friday.

Arif Kaka, a cousin of Tariq Geedar — the emir of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s Darra Adamkhel chapter — was a member of the central shura of the TTP and counted among the most wanted militants. He had surrendered to the security forces a few years ago and since then had been living a low-profile life.

Azam Khan, an official of the Darra Adamkhel administration, said Arif Kaka, who “ruled the area for over a decade” along with Tariq Geedar, had been freely roaming in the area for the last several years.

Suspected terrorist held, explosives, foreign currency recovered

The official said Kaka was walking on a road along with a friend when unidentified gunmen riding a car sprayed them with bullets. As a result Kaka died on the spot, while his friend sustained serious injuries and was taken to the Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar.

Kaka belonged to the Zarghun Khel clan of Meri Kalay where he and Tariq Geedar had established their headquarters to ‘punish and kill criminals under Islamic laws’.

Officials could not come up with a reply when asked why Kaka was not arrested though his activities stretched over a prolonged period of time.

Later in the day, the former militant was buried in his ancestral graveyard in Meri Kalay.

‘Terrorist’ held with bomb, foreign currency

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Kohat police arrested a “hardened terrorist” at his hideout in Karak and recovered explosives and foreign currency from his possession.

During the raid on the hideout of Khitab Gul, originally a resident of Qabar Yusuf Talab in the Bara area of Khyber tribal region, the CTD seized 2.5kg explosives and one grenade, as well as Rs10,000 and 1,500 Saudi riyals in cash.

After the arrest, Khitab Gul was taken to an unspecified place for interrogation.

A statement issued by the CTD in Kohat said that the suspect belonged to a banned organisation and had been involved in attacks on security forces and sensitive installations. A case had been registered against him at the CTD police station.

Preliminary investigations suggest that Khitab Gul might have links with senior militants hiding in Afghanistan, getting orders from them for carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan.

The CTD is looking for his facilitators who had moved him from the tribal area to the settled territory and provided him shelter.

The place from where he was held was found empty as nobody else was present there at the time of the raid. Information about Khitab Gul’s facilitators is being collected.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2018