KARACHI: The counter terrorism department (CTD) on Friday arrested the vice-chancellor of a private university from Karachi over charges of financing Al-Qaeda and allegedly aiding the Safoora Goth massacre, DawnNews reported.

Adil Masood Butt, a close aide and the business partner of Safoora Goth attack’s main suspect Saad Aziz, was arrested by CTD from the Clifton area of the metropolis.

Giving details, the CTD sources revealed that Butt’s name surfaced as the financier of the attack after the joint investigating team (JIT) interrogated another suspect, Khalid Yousuf.

The evidence of Butt’s involvement was further established after his bank records were investigated, the counter-terrorism department said.

Later, addressing a press conference to announce the arrest, CTD head Raja Umer Khattab said that Butt was the business partner of Saad Aziz alias Tin Tin.

"Butt had studied at Indiana University in USA and later set up his own 'College of Accountancy and Management Sciences (CAMS),’ which has three branches in Karachi where around 2,000 students are studying," Khattab said.

Women facilitators

Khattab said during investigation it was revealed that that there is a strong 'women operated' network working alongside this group.

The network includes Khalid Yusuf Bari's wife, Saad Aziz's wife and mother-in-law and Mufti Tauseef's wife who brainwash other women.

The CTD head claimed that Khalid Bari's wife used to spread the Islamic State’s ideology through digital means.

"These women also served the militant outfits by arranging suitable matrimonial matches and funds for the terrorists," said Khattab.

He requested the general public to remain watchful while giving zakat or charity to any organisation, lest they will be included in any such investigation as facilitator for any terrorist activity.

The highly educated suspect

Adil Butt received his early education at Saint Patrick and Saint Paul schools before moving to the United States (US) for higher studies in 1987 where he obtained an MBA degree from New York’s Fordham University in 1992.

In 1994, Butt, along with his partners, opened the College of Accounting and Management Sciences (CAMS), the institute has three branches and about 2,000 students are enrolled in the institute.

In the year 2000, Butt became a follower of Dr Israr Ahmed and joined Tanzeem-i-Islami. He met Khalid Yusuf Bari, Sheba Ahmed and Dr Akmal Waheed through TI.

Later, he left TI but remained in touch with Dr Waheed and allegedly started funding the terrorists through him.

Fearing intelligence agencies, Waheed later stopped Butt from meeting and funding him directly but instead started sending a man, Umer Jalal, who collected the funds from him in NED University, where Butt worked as a lecturer.

Umer Jalal too was linked to Al-Qaeda and was a part of the terrorist network which included Akmal Waheed, Saad Aziz, Mufti Tauseef , Saleem Ahmed and Suleman Saeed, according to the CTD press release.

At least 43 people were killed and 13 others wounded on May 14 when armed men opened fire inside a bus carrying members of the Ismaili community near Safoora Chowk in Karachi.

Sindh Police Inspector General Ghulam Haider Jamali said 60 people were on board the bus when six gunmen entered and executed 43 passengers.

Ahmed Marwat, spokesman for Jundullah, a splinter group of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), had claimed responsibility for the attack.