KARACHI: Police on Friday claimed to have arrested an employee of a government hospital for alleged targeted killings of 29 people in the city.

The held suspect belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London, who killed people mostly on ethnic grounds and in revenge after the murder of his younger brother, revealed SSP East Azfar Mahesar.

Speaking at a press conference at his office, the SSP said that acting on a tip-off the Soldier Bazaar police arrested Saleem Qureshi, alias Majja, and recovered one Kalashnikov, one TT pistol and ammunition from his possession.

“He was involved in killings of workers of their party’s supposed rivals, ethnic killings, gang-war elements, a police informer and one woman,” added the officer.

Saleem alias Majja started targeted killings in 2007 and was declared absconder in three murder cases registered at the Soldier Bazaar police, the officer claimed. Since past six years he was living in a rented home in Landhi as an absconder.

He also took “refuge” in the Tableeghi Jamaat several times in order to avoid his arrest, the police added.

During the initial probe, he revealed that members of Lyari gangs had gunned down his younger brother because he was a member of a hitmen’s team belonging to the MQM-L.

His brother was killed allegedly by a gang led by Jameel, alias Changa, in Lyari.

In order to take revenge of his brother’s killing, he started targeted killings on ethnic grounds, claimed the SSP. He was also involved in an armed attack on Aaj TV during the May 12 mayhem of 2007, the police added.

He was never arrested in the past.

Mr Mahesar claimed that the held suspect was an employee of a government hospital but he did not disclose its name.

Other members of the alleged hitmen’s team included Shakir Bandhani; Asad Iqbal; Amir, alias Bantu; Fahad, alias K-2; Asif, alias Babu; Zahir Qureshi, alias Zakir and Ishtiaq, alias Mamu.

Sharing details of killings of 29 persons allegedly by the held suspect, the SSP East said that the victims included three workers of the PPP, one worker of the ANP, eight members of Lyari gangs, one passer-by woman, who was killed in a clash with gang members in Lyari, one murder of a police informer over suspicion and 15 killings based on ethnic grounds.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2019