Daily Times

KARACHI: Suspecting the act of banned outfits, in which two policemen were targeted, the investigators have started grilling members of proscribed organizations who are currently in jails with strong outside contacts.

Investigation committee comprising District police officials and CTD officers along with Forensic experts submitted its initial report of the incident which reveled that terrorists belonging to the sleeper cells of banned outfits were behind the attack on police mobile.

Police department Sindh has announced Rs 5 million each for the families of martyred. Rs 1 million were also given to Agha Khan Hospital for the treatment of Head Constable (HC) Shehanshah who suffered critical injuries in the attack.

DIG East Arif Hanif said that four unknown assailants riding motorcyclists opened fire on the police van of New Town police station at Dawood Mor, near Dawood Public School Bahadurabad and managed to escape. Injured were shifted to Agha Khan Hospital but ASI Iftikhar and HC Younus could not survive and died during the treatment while HC Shehansh is under treatment.

He said the firing incident appeared to be targeted killing as the policemen received bullets to their heads and chests.

In charge Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW), Raja Omer Khitab, and Tariq Jadoon in-charge Forensic Unit have collected evidences from the crime scene.

Khattab said that it seems that any sleeper cell has been activated in a city. “After Asim Capri and Ishaq Bobby were arrested over the assassination of Amjad Sabri, we found that a new sleeper cell has been activated in a city for last couple of months,” he added

Khitab said that the attackers executed their plan after complete Recce as the vehicle used to be deployed there as part of routine for last two years.

It is pertinent to note that similar attack was launched just few hours earlier by terrorists in Kohat District in which four police personnel were martyred. Investigators are also trying to find out any link between the two attacks. Police has registered a case the incident against unknown terrorists.

Earlier in the morning funeral prayer(Namz-e-janaza) of both martyred police personnel was offered at police headquarters Garden and family quarters New Town. IG Sindh AD Khawaja along with senior officials of Pakistan Rangers participated in the funeral.

The Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Sindh IG AD Khowaja directed the authorities concerned to arrest those responsible for the act.