KARACHI, Feb 18: The two activists of the banned organization Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, arrested on Tuesday, are suspected to be involved in sectarian killings including that of Dr Ibne Hasan, the police said on Wednesday.
" We are grilling the two suspects for their possible links with sectarian killings as we have obtained their remand from a court till Feb 26, after we found some clues about their involvement in the killing of Dr Ibne Hasan", SP Farooq Awan of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) told Dawn on Wednesday.
He said:" Investigations have not yet proved their links with Al Qaeda network or with the killing of the US reporter Daniel Pearl. Yes, their links with some sectarian killings have been found and we are probing them further."
The AVCC claimed that Mohammad Athar alias Khalid Memon, chief of the banned organization's Sindh chapter, and Sajid Jabbar alias Budha were picked up in a raid at a house in Nazimabad No.3. A huge cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered from them.
Mr Awan said the suspects planned to disturb peace in the holy month of Muharram but the police, on credible information, raided their hideout and foiled their possible plans.
The police on Wednesday, first produced the two accused before the judicial magistrate Malir, Abdul Quddoos Memon and sought a remand in Dr Ibne Hasan murder case.
Dr Hasan was shot dead on Aug 16, while alighting from his car in front of his clinic near Malir-15 bus stop. His tragic killing sparked off violent protests in the area as a result of which vehicular traffic on National Highway and train traffic on the main railway line remained suspended for hours.
The court remanded the accused to police custody till Feb 26, for investigation.
The police later produced them before the judicial magistrate Central Ayaz Mustafa Jokhio, for seeking their remand for possessing one Klashinkov, nine TT pistols and six grenades with several detonators, one stolen motorcycle and a computer.
They were again remanded to police custody till Feb 26. The police brought the two accused with their faces covered to the two courts amid tight security. Police were also deployed at court buildings to prevent any attempt to secure their release.
Police on Tuesday claimed that the Khalid Memon and Sajid were allegedly also involved in sending parcel bombs to the offices of senior police personnel and the home secretary in October 2002. However, the police did not obtain their remand in this case.
The same banned group had claimed responsibility of the parcel bomb blasts, on Oct 17, 2002, through an electronic mail, sent to a number of newspaper offices. The sender of the e-mail claimed himself to be Asif Ramzi.
He had claimed that now all major jihadi organizations including (the banned) Lashkar-i- Jhangvi were gathering on the single platform of 'Muslim United Army'.
Police believe Asif Ramzi was killed in a powerful explosion on Dec 19, 2002, which razed a house in Korangi. Three others were also found dead in the rubble, who were also believed to be religious extremists.