KARACHI: A subordinate court on Monday sent eight suspects said to be activists of a proscribed outfit, Sipah-i-Muhammad on a two-day-remand. They were arrested on Sunday and were allegedly involved in several incidents of targeted killing in the city.

Speaking at a press conference at the office of the Special Investigation Unit, Capital City Police Chief Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari said that five suspects were arrested following a shoot-out with the police near the NED University early on Sunday. The suspects were using a car with a fake registration number plate of the government of Sindh.

The CCPO said the suspects — Tanveer Abbas, Abrar Husain Rizvi, Pervaiz Zaidi, Rifat alias Jehangir and Hasnain Abbas — were arrested on Sunday morning and on their disclosure, the police arrested their three accomplices, Sikandar, Ali Mehdi and Komail.

Identifying Tanveer Abbas as the ringleader of the group, CCPO Leghari claimed that Tanveer Abbas used to pick and select young men for different tasks and would send them for basic training.

Motorcycles and arms and ammunition for carrying out the task were provided by Abbas, the CCPO added.

Similarly, Abrar Husain used to select targets and carry out reconnaissance of the target, the city police chief claimed.

He named 12 victims who were allegedly killed by the arrested suspects.

Dr Babar Manan was killed within the remit of the Mominabad police station, Dr Javed Shakoor in Nazimabad, Dr Khursheed in Orangi Town, Mohammad Nisar in New Karachi, Mauvia in Taimuria, Mukhtar Ali in Khawaja Ajmair Nagri, Ashraf Haroon in Orangi Town, Mushtaq Ahmed in Bilal Colony, Qari Iqbal in Surjani Town, Mohammad Imran in Shahra-i-Noor Jehan, Naeem Ahmed and Mudassar were killed within remit of the Sir Syed police station.

The suspects got Rs7 million as finances to carry out the targeted killings in the city, the CCPO claimed without disclosing the source of the funding. He said the alleged gang comprised 18 men.

“Ten associates of the arrested suspects are still at large. Some of them have been identified as Zaki Kazmi, Shafat Husain, Mohsin, Farhat, Danish and Zeeshah Ali Abbas,” the CCPO said.

The police seized an AK-47 rifle, two 9mm pistols, a mauser, a hand grenade, three TT pistols and a 9mm rifle from the suspects.

A list of names described by the police as a “hit list” was also recovered from the suspects which contained names of some police officers and clerics, the CCPO added.