The Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday arrested three alleged target killers of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) involved in the murder of three Shia lawyers at Pakistan Chowk and others religious scholars.
Addressing a press conference, CID’s Chaudhry Aslam said a huge cache of weapons was also recovered from the detainees during a raid at the Truck Adda, Hawkesbay Road, Mauripur.
He said the arrested “targeted killers” were identified as Salahuddin Israel, Maulana Muhammad Rashid and Muhammad Taufique Ansari.
He also said the detainees had admitted killing three Shia lawyers at Pakistan Chowk a few days ago.
He further said the detainees claimed that they wanted to kill Kafeel and Babar Shah, but when they saw two more lawyers in the vehicle, they tried to kill all of them.
The Sindh home minister had announced Rs 1 million as head money for arresting or identifying the lawyers’ killers, Aslam added.
He said the detainees had killed another Shia lawyer Mukhtiar Abbas Bukhari last year in Sheesha Gali, Bohra Pir.
He also said a noha khawan Kashif Ali was killed in Bheempura, a Shia battery seller Amir Ali in the Garden area, a Shia typist Kausar Zaidi at the city courts, and another Shia man Ansar Ali in Sultanabad last year by the accused men.
He further said the detainees admitted attacking Maulana Abdul Karim Naqshbandi in 2004 and injuring him because he is affiliated with the Sunni Tehreek.
“They also attacked an Ahmadi Dr Badar in Moosa Lane in 2004, injured Saleh Zikri at the Kamela Mama Hotel in 2005, and killed Maulana Abdul Karim Naqshbandi in Moosa Lane in 2005 and Qari Habib outside Kalri’s Faizan-e-Aulia Masjid the same year,” he added.
Aslam said the arrested “target killers” had also revealed their next targets, which include Shia scholar Allama Jaffer Subhani, Tasawar Hussain Advocate, a Shia doctor in Kharadar, and a Shia man named Tanveer.
He said the CID recovered three Kalashnikovs, three 9mm pistols, two TT pistols, five hand grenades, 150 rounds and two motorcycles from the possession of the accused men.
“These target killers have previously been arrested by the Baghdadi, Kalri and CID Napier police between 2004 and 2006,” he added.
CID arrests three for ‘killing Shia lawyers’
