KARACHI: Police on Sunday claimed to have arrested a suspect allegedly linked with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London, who got training from the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and had killed 18 people, including policemen, over the years.

“The Malir City police arrested Mohammed Shahzad, alias Khajji, who is trained by RAW,” said a police spokesperson.

During the initial probe, he revealed that he had killed 18 people including policemen.

He joined the MQM in 1988 as a worker of its Shah Faisal Colony sector. He joined the team of hitmen led by Naeem Sharri in 1993.

The suspect along with his accomplices killed Sub-Inspector Mohammed Saleem and Constable Mohammed Ayub on Oct 17, 1994. DSP Mukhtar Ahmed Chaudhry was wounded in the same incident. The suspect also revealed the killing of policemen who were patrolling near Raza Square in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

He along with his accomplices kidnapped six people in Moosa Colony and tortured them to death over suspicion of being informers.

After launching of Karachi Operation in 1996, the suspect went underground. Later on he was sent to South Africa by the organisation.

The spokesman said on the directions of the MQM-L leadership he along with other colleagues was sent to Delhi where he was allegedly trained by RAW. After returning to Karachi, he remained involved in murders and attempted murders of political and religious persons.

The police claimed to have recovered a grenade from him and booked him in a case under relevant sections of anti-terror law.

13 BTK guards, employees detained

The Gadap Town police on Sunday launched an investigation into the alleged rioting and kidnapping and injuring of villagers by security staff of Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) and detained over a dozen staff members of the property giant in late night raids, official sources said.

Two police officers confirmed on condition of anonymity that the police carried out raids in the BTK and took 13 suspects into custody for their alleged involvement in torturing of residents of Malir.

Among the detained persons were guards who allegedly resorted to firing and beating and injuring villagers on the outskirts of the metropolis near Kathor on Friday afternoon.

The police lodged an FIR (192/2021) under Sections 147, 148, 149, 337-A and 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code pertaining to rioting armed with weapons, kidnapping or abduction to murder and injuries, etc.

A police officer explained that the case was registered on the complaint of a resident of Kamal Khan Jokhio Goth, Jan Sher Khan.

The complainant in his statement before the police said that the BTK security staff started occupying land in the village after Friday prayers. As the residents put up resistance, the guards took him (the complainant) hostage, subjected him to torture and tied him with ropes attached to their vehicle and took him away.

The police said the 13 detained suspects could be seen in the videos of the incident that had gone viral on social media.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2021