Being made a victim of conspiracy, says Farooq Sattar

KARACHI: Former MQM stalwart and ex-mayor of Karachi, Dr Farooq Sattar has said that he had never been the caretaker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s home base ’90’, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

East range police earlier in the day claimed to have arrested a killer involved in murders of 96 people in the city.

Arrested target killer have political connections and was affiliated with MQM’s London group, SSP East Ghulam Azfar Mahesar and SP Zubair Nazeer said in a press conference here.

Accused killer Zubair alias Thelay Wala has disclosed that their target killing group was comprised of 43 killers, SSP East said.

He has confessed the killing of two military soldiers and one official each of Pakistan Air Force and the Karachi police, the police officer said.

He has also confessed murders of five workers of MQM-Haqiqi and two government employees. Moreover, also killed 12 people suspecting them as police and government agencies informers.

He also killed a citizen over refusing to give extortion money, the SSP said.

Arrested killer Zubair is a close associate of terrorists Nadeem Marble and Abdul Salam alias Massa, officers said.

The Rangers had arrested him in the year 1996 and he was released from jail in 1997.

He went into hiding after getting out of jail on parole, SSP Azfar Mahesar said. While in hiding he remained in touch with MQM Altaf Group, which was communicating with him with messages.

The accused had a fearsome presence in Karachi’s District West, the officials added.

Zubair has alleged that Farooq Sattar was the caretaker of ’90’, the home of the founder of MQM who is currently residing in London.

Farooq Sattar maintained that he was never in charge of the facility, although Amir Khan, Anees Qaimkhani and Kunwar Naveed Jamil have held the responsibility on different occasions in the past.

“There is a conspiracy being hatched and executed against me, those behind this concoction will come to the forefront soon,” said Farooq Sattar.