‘Killers’of MQM MPA Sajid Qureshi, Prof Sibte Jafar arrested from Karachi

Police has arrested six terrorists of the banned militant outfit, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi sister organization of outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba (Yazeed), for allegedly killing 30 people, including MQM MPA Sajid Qureshi, his son and Noted Shia Scholar Prof Sibte Jafar Zaidi.

The arrests were made by the Anti-Extremism Cell of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) after an encounter in Orangi Town on Thursday.

The police also claimed to have seized three suicide jackets containing 20 kilograms of explosives, 12 hand grenades and other arms and ammunition from their possession.

The suspects were allegedly involved in at least 30 target killings, including those of Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker Sajid Qureshi, his son, Prof Sibte Jafar and 14 Shias.

Anti-Extremism Cell chief SSP Muhammad Aslam Khan said CID teams were dispatched to a hideout of terrorists at Qaddafi Chowk after police received a tip-off.

On seeing the police, the suspects opened fire and an encounter ensued, following which six suspects, unidentified as Talha bin Babar, Muhammad Asim, Qazi bin Ali, Obaid-ur-Rehman, Muhammad Shabaz and Muhammad Faran, were taken into custody. Two other suspects fled.

During the initial interrogation, the suspects revealed that they had sent 20 people to their commander, Akram, in Waziristan for obtaining terrorist training and making suicide jackets.

Officials of intelligence agencies and the Bomb Disposal Squad said that C-4 type explosive was used in preparing the suicide jackets whose impact could be six times more than that of locally made jackets and each of them each could demolish a three-storey building.

The SSP said that the arrested suspects belonged to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’s Naeem Bukhari group.

MPA Sajid Qureshi and his son Waqas Qureshi were shot dead in North Nazimabad on June 20.

Police said unidentified assailants opened fire on Qureshi and his son, Waqas Qureshi, when they came out of a mosque after the Friday prayers. Qureshi’s another son sustained injuries when he came to the rescue his father.