MQM-L target killer allegedly involved in murder of ASI arrested

KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested an alleged target killer of Muttahida Qaumi Movement London (MQM-L) during a raid in Karachi who was wanted in different cases including the murder of an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Ali Mohsin, ARY News reported on Monday.

The alleged target killer, Muhammad Shakeel alias Hakla, was wanted in eight cases of terrorism, murder, dacoity, police encounter and others. The accused is an active member of MQM-L and allegedly involved in target killing over the orders of the Lines Area Sector since 2009.

According to the CTD spokesperson, Muhammad Shakeel was arrested during a raid conducted in Karachi’s Lines Area, whereas, he was also involved in the killing of ASI Ali Mohsin Naqvi who was an eyewitness in the murder case of a police officer Nasirul Hassan.

Read: CTD requests sharing JIT report of ‘MQM-L terrorist’ with Belgium

The ASI had been killed by the accused and his accomplices in the vicinity of Brigade police station in 2012.

The raiding team also recovered a 30-bore pistol and ammunition from his possession. The recovered weapon was sent for forensic analysis and more revelations are likely to be made as interrogation is underway.

The CTD teams are conducting raids to arrest the other criminals.

Earlier on March 6, after an exchange of fire with the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials in Karachi, an alleged target killer of Muttahida Qaumi Movement London (MQM-L), Azam alias Ganja had been killed in the Bagh Korangi area.

Read: Court grants physical remand of alleged SRA terrorist to CTD

The CTD’s raiding team had killed the ‘MQM-L target killer’ in an encounter in Karachi’s Bagh Korangi area, whereas, his accomplice managed to flee from the location. Azam ‘Ganja’ was allegedly a close aide of notorious criminal Junaid aka Bulldog and a key member of the target killers’ team of the political party’s Korangi sector, according to CTD spokesperson.

The spokesperson had said that Azam committed murders over the directives of unit and sector between 2012 and 2013 as he killed a person near a police check post in Tasveer Mahal and targeted an activist of MQM Haqiqi Farooq in Landhi.

Two cases against the deceased target killer had registered with the CTD and he was declared proclaimed offender by the court.