Hunt for Karachi knifeman handed over to CTD: sources

KARACHI: The ongoing hunt for the knifeman – who has so far stabbed over a dozen women in Karachi – has been handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), police sources said.

The mystery still surrounds the motive behind the knife assaults on women, besides the number of attackers involved in the assaults as Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah on Friday claimed a major clue had been found in connection with Karachi knife attacks.

The chief minister said that police was investigating to get to the core of the matter. He said that police had number of reasons to believe that at least two suspects were involved in the attacks.

More than one attacker?

Claiming the attacker’s modus operandi in Karachi has significant similarities with the assaults that were carried out in Punjab’s Sahiwal city, the chief minister said: “One of the suspect is believed to hail from Sahiwal in Punjab, while another belongs to Karachi. The suspect from Sahiwal is currently absconding and is allegedly involved in over thirty similar attacks in Punjab.”

Earlier on Wednesday, police had claimed to have made a ‘key arrest’ but the claims fell flat when a woman on Thursday night came under an attack in Gulistan-e-Johar area of the city.

The attack baffled the police officials; later reckoning more than one person could be involved in the stabbing spree.

Knifeman extends reach

The speculations still revolve around the attacker’s modus operandi, particularly after the assailant extended his reach to other areas of the metropolis, assailing five more women with knife in a span of few hours.

The change of location further terrorized the masses. However, the officials opined that the tactic might have been employed to evade arrest and baffle investigation officers.

The attacks  were carried out in Gulshan-e-Jamal, Rashid Minhas Road, and NIPA Chowrangi near Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology.

Previously, the knife assaults were restricted to Gulistan-e-Johar locality.

Attacker’s appearance 

In light of the CCTV footage, police revealed that the assailant on a motorcycle, wearing a helmet, using sharp objects like paper cutter and knife to carry out attacks on women.

Sindh government has announced prize money of Rs0.5 million for anyone who provides the law enforcement agencies any information with regard to the identity of the attacker.

Talking to media, a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s Welfare Colony said that her daughter was returning from the park when she was attacked.

She further said that her daughter sustain wound on her back and admitted at the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre.

The pictures taken from a CCTV footage show the knife attacker on the bike appears to be a thin man aged 20 to 29 years. Police said that the suspect’s height ranges from 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inch.