Ansarul Shariah head Abdullah Hashmi arrested in Karachi

KARACHI: In an intelligence based operation, security forces have arrested Ansarul Shariah Pakistan Chief Dr. Abdullah Hashmi from a house in Karachi, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The raid, conducted with the help of intelligence agencies, in Karachi’s Gulzar-e-Hijri area was successful as the group’s chief Abdullah Hashmi was taken into custody.

According to ARY News correspondent Shah Nawaz Shah, Hashmi is only 28 years old and also remained a student of Karachi University.

Abdullah Hashmi also served as the spokesperson of the proscribed militant group and is considered an IT expert.

Initial interrogation has revealed that the group consisted of 10 to 12 young boys and was formed about one and a half year ago.

Ansarul Shariah is said to be involved in a number of criminal and terrorist activities with the most recent being an attack on Muttahida Qaumi Movemnent (MQM) MPA Khawaja Izharul Hassan on September 2.

Police are also looking for Sarosh Siddiqui, an Ansarul Shariah commander, who masterminded the attack on Izhar.

Sarosh escaped a police raid on Monday on his house in Gulzar-e-Hijri.