Punjab police resist transfer of suspected knife attacker to Sindh

KARACHI: Following the arrest of a suspect alleged of involvement in knife attacks of a similar nature to those in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Gulshan-i-Iqbal, the Punjab police have allowed only ‘limited access’ to Sindh police for interrogating the accused, media reports confirmed on Monday.

On Sunday, the police claimed to have arrested the perceived Karachi’s mysterious ‘knifeman’ in a joint operation of Punjab and Karachi police conducted in Mandi Bahauddin.

“The Punjab police have provided limited access to Sindh police for interrogating the suspect,” said a police officer.

The officer told an English national daily that Punjab police officials had told police authorities in Sindh that they wanted to investigate the recent attacks on women in Lahore first. Therefore, the Punjab police had shown resistance in handing over the suspect to the Sindh police.

As per reports, the Lahore police are already investigation the arrestee for alleged involvement in Lahore attacks on women.

On October 11, two knife attacks had been reported on women in Lahore.

As many as 17 women with different backgrounds and age groups have become a victim of stabbing in Karachi in various localities of Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Gulshan-i-Iqbal since September 25, triggering fear and panic among residents.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had recently claimed that the suspect had been identified and was believed to be the same person – Waseem, 27 years of age- who was behind similar attacks in Punjab’s Chichawatni area, where 50 women were injured in knife attacks over three years since 2013.

However, Karachi East Zone DIG Sultan Ali Khowaja stated on Sunday that the police authorities are open to further investigations  and other potential suspects.

According to Karachi East SSP Dr Samiullah Soomro, the perceived lone attacker has been attacking women mostly in dark and deserted streets of Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Gulshan-i-Iqbal. Almost all attacks have reported to have occurred from behind.

The city police officers suspected a similar pattern of attacks on women in Punjab as well as Karachi. Therefore, it was perceived that suspect Waseem might be involved in similar crimes in Karachi.

Waseem along with two other suspects was arrested in 2016 after carrying out repeated attacks on women in Sahiwal.

Subsequently, he was imprisoned in 11 cases of stabbing and wounding women in Sahiwal but was released on bail after eight months.

As per police reports, many similarities were observed between the recent knife attacks on women in Karachi and those carried out by the suspect in 2014-15 in Sahiwal which gave rise to suspicions about  Waseem’s involvement in a recent spate of knife attacks in Karachi.

On Friday, Karachi’s East Zone police claimed to have taken into custody Mohammad Shahzad,  and presented him before an antiterrorism court over charges of “facilitating” the attacker. Shahzad is believed to be a friend and an alleged facilitatot of Waseem. He was remanded in police custody for seven days forinvestigation.

Shahzad was an employee at a factory in Landhi area of Karachi. As per police reports, he provided cover to Waseem, who had come to Karachi about a month ago.

The police also claimed that Waseem had been reported missing from his native village in Sahiwal for the last six months.

Shahzad told authorities that Waseem was allegedly suffering from a psychological disorder and the media coverage of his acts provided him relief.

In addition to Shahzad, as many as 38 suspects are being investigated by police authorities. They had been taken into custody during various raids and search operations in the metropolis.