The security agencies on Wednesday arrested another engineer, reportedly a graduate of a reputable academic institution in Karachi, for his alleged association with Hizbut Tahrir (HT), a banned organization.
Engineer Saham was arrested when he reached at his workplace. The arrested engineer was shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
Security agencies have so far arrested five highly-qualified people for their association with HT, but they have all been release due to a lack of evidences.
Announcing the arrest of an HT member Engineer Owais Raheel on October 06, Counter-Terrorism Department (CDT) Pakistan-Based Terrorists Intelligence Group (PBTIG) Incharge Mazhar Mashwani claimed that the suspect was booked in the Boat Basin area under section 11EEEE (I) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Mashwani said that the suspect was associated with a banned religious outfit that did not recognize Pakistan’s governance system, and wanted to establish ‘Khilafa’ in the country. He said that the suspect and his cohorts targeted young graduates in order to turn them against the state so that they could be used for illegal activities to achieve their objectives.
On October 7, CTD personnel produced Engineer Raheel in the chamber of ATC-III Judge Saleem Raza Baloch where investigation officer claimed that they had received credible information that accused was involved in terrorism-related activities, which came within the ambit of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. The court was told that he had been placed under preventive detention for three months under section 11EEE (I) for interrogation.
Engineer Raheel’s family has confirmed that Raheel was released by the CTD due to lack of evidence. However, when PBTIG Incharge Mazhar Mashwani was approached for confirmation, he refused to comment.
Earlier, spy agencies arrested a doctor from the Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Dr Ismail, from his residence in Gulistan-e-Jauhar for having connections with HT last year. However, he was also released after a few months due to lack of evidence.
HT has confirmed the arrest of Engineer Saham in Karachi. HT spokesman said in an email correspondence with this scribe that the government had waged a war against Hizbut Tahrir for their political struggle for Khilafa. He said that five workers of HT had so far been arrested in Karachi but that the government had to release all of them due to lack of evidences, which proved that Tahrir was not involved in any terror-related activities in Pakistan and abroad.
He said that the Tahrir workers were subjected to severe torture during several month of detention, but that they were later released without even being produced in the court of law.