More than 100 suspects, including five alleged target killers, were arrested in the continuing search operations by law enforcers, while at least three more persons were reportedly killed in incidents of targeted killings on Thursday. Pakistan Rangers and Karachi police personnel launched joint search operations in different areas of the city. Early in the morning, law enforcers cordoned off the residential apartments building of Yousuf Plaza in the Federal B Area. The security forces arrested more than 35 suspects during the door-to-door search operation.
A police official on condition of anonymity told Pakistan Today that law enforcers had discovered a torture cell that was set up inside an apartment. “The police arrested three persons with weapons inside the flat that was later sealed.” After the operation, residents of Yousuf Plaza staged a protest against the security forces and blocked the main road, suspending vehicular traffic for hours.
The law enforcement personnel also launched a search operation in Baldia Town and arrested more than 70 persons. The arrested suspects belonged to different communities and were shifted to various police stations. Heavy arms and ammunition were also recovered from the possession of the suspects.
One of the security personnel claimed that 25 Kalashnikovs, 40 TT pistols and more than 3,000 bullets were recovered from the suspects.
In a raid in Pehlwan Goth, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, 12 persons were arrested and weapons recovered from an office in use of Awami National Party (ANP), police said.
“More than 50 closed-circuit television cameras installed in the surroundings of the ANP office were also removed,” sources in the police party told Pakistan Today.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies personnel also arrested five alleged target killers from different areas of the city.
Two persons identified as Kamran alias Lamba and Imran were arrested in a raid at a house situated in 5-F/2 area of New Karachi. The suspects were said to be activists of Sunni Tehreek (ST).
Police claimed recovering two Kalashnikovs and two 9mm pistols from them.
Both persons have confessed murdering more than 11 persons, police said.
Police also claimed to have arrested an alleged target killer from Banaras and two more from North Karachi. The law enforcers did not reveal their identity but said that the arrested suspects were political activists.
KILLINGS: Despite massive crackdowns against ‘criminal elements’, targeted killings continued in the city as three more persons were killed in separate incidents.
A man identified as Samiullah was gunned down by unidentified assailants in the Sulatanabad area of Mangopir.
The body of an unidentified man was found in a gunny bag at Super Highway. Police shifted the body to the civil hospital.
Another body was recovered from Preedy Street near the Quaid’s mausoleum. The identification of the deceased was not ascertained.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference at the Rangers headquarters, Rangers General Staff Officer Colonel Shafeeq said that more than 100 suspects were arrested in operations conducted in different areas of the city, including Pehlwan Goth, Banaras and Baldia Town. He said the arrested persons were shifted to different police stations.
