Daily Times

KARACHI: Law enforcement agencies, in collaboration with the intelligence agencies, have arrested a suspect for his alleged involvement in the Sehwan bombing.

Meanwhile, paramilitary force on Friday arrested over half of a dozen suspects during ongoing targeted raids and operations in parts of metropolis.

A suspect who has been identified as Tahir was taken into custody during a raid conducted at Uthal area of Baluchistan. Sources in the police told Daily Times that the accused was taken into custody during a raid conducted on a tip-off.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Tahir also worked for Abdul Hafeez Pandrani, a leader of the Hafeez Brohi group which is affiliated with the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).

Pandrani is the mastermind of the Sehwan bombing in which a suicide bomber blew himself up at the shrine of saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar martyring at least 90 people and injuring scores of other devotees on February 16 this year. But so far, the law enforcement and intelligence agencies are unable to arrest key-suspects including mastermind Pandrani.

District West SSP Nasir Aftab said that nothing could be said about the involvement of Tahir in the Sehwan bombing as the investigations were in preliminary stage.

Meanwhile, paramilitary force – Rangers during ongoing targeted raids and operations in parts of a metropolis claim to have arrested eight more suspects.

According to Rangers spokesperson, the suspects arrested were involved in various cases of crime including target killings, extortion, street crimes, robberies and drugs peddling.

Five suspects were arrested during an operation in Baghdadi area of Lyari. The suspects arrested were identified as Hanif alias Annu, Shahzad, Zubair, Waleed and Yousuf. Rangers spokesperson said that the suspects arrested belonged to Lyari gang war and Baloch Liberation and were involved in various cases of crime including target killings and extortion.

Separately, Rangers spokesperson also claims to have arrested three more suspects during raids in Saudabad and Ferozabad areas.

The suspects arrested were identified as Shahid Iqbal, Yousuf Khan and Rafiq Khan.

The spokesperson said that the suspects arrested were involved in drug peddling, adding that arms, ammunitions and narcotics were also recovered from their possession while further investigation was underway.