CTD connects the dots in Abidi murder case

KARACHI: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday revealed that the weapon used in assassination of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Ali Raza Abidi was the same one used by assailants to gun down a man in city’s Liaquatabad area days before Abidi was killed, ARY News reported.

The official said two weeks before the murder of MQM leader Abidi, unidentified men gunned down Ehtisham, the resident of Liaquatabad. The bullet casings collected from the scene were sent for a forensic analysis. When Abidi was killed on Dec 25, 2018 the spent bullet casings were also collected. Their forensic analysis revealed that the same weapon was also used in the Liaquatabad killing.

Read: CTD to probe into Ali Raza Abidi murder case

According to investigators, it was found that the man in Liaquatabad was killed two weeks before assassination of the former MNA.

The CTD, quoting their investigation, further said the murderers of Ahtisham have fled Iran. They belonged to Lyari gang war group.

Sources in the CTD said law enforcers were also tracking for gang war criminals to expand the murder investigation of Ali Raza Abidi.

Former Muttahida Quami Movement lawmaker Ali Raza Abidi was gunned down last year on Dec 25 outside his residence in Defence Housing Authority.

CTD was assigned to investigate the high-profile murder case on the directives of Inspector General of Sindh Police Syed Kaleem Imam on Jan 26. The police had then handed over all relevant record of the case to CTD.