75 percent militants on terror watch in Karachi untraceable

ISLAMABAD: Almost 75 percent militants on terror watch list for their alleged links with over a dozen proscribed organisations are untraceable in Karachi, some of them might be behind the recent wave of violence in the metropolis.

Official documents pointed out that the Sindh counterterrorism forces were unable to trace 142 of total 190 militants, who were listed to category ‘A*’, a term used for terrorists put on exceptional risk or high risk. The shocking revelations came a week after assassination of famous artist Amjad Sabri following kidnapping of Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC)’s son.

Six most wanted militants belong to proscribed organizations were shifted to Holland, Bangladesh, Dubai, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan, revealed official documents exclusively obtained by Geo News (ASKKS Programme). Interviews with police officers and documents prepared by Sindh counterterrorism forces further revealed that “there is a strong possibility that some of these militants must have planned to execute recent terror attacks in Karachi.” 

Around 38 militants put on watch list and also listed to Schedule IV are in various jails of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtun-khwa, Balochistan and Punjab. Two militants from Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan (SMP) are in jails, 3 militants belong to Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), two had affiliation with Hizb-ul-Mujahiddin (HuM) and Jundallah, seven each from Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), eight militants belong to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and one suspicious militant was put in Hyderabad Jail by the police. Waliullah Awan, who is a said to be a ring leader of TTP, was picked up by Pakistan Rangers Sindh and presently he is detained in unknown Detention Center of Pakistan Rangers Sindh, revealed the officials.

Sindh police put 27 militants of LeJ on watch list, 56 of SSP, 22 of SMP, two of Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), six of Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST), one each belong to Khudamul Islam (KuI), Lyari Gangwar and Majlis-e-Wahadat-ul-Muslameen (MWM), eight of HuM, 15 of JeM, three of Jundallah, two of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and 19 terrorists belonged to TTP.

Six ‘Jihadis’ who returned from Afghanistan are wanted to Sindh counterterrorism forces which are also in search of 16 suspicious terrorists who went missing since years.

Mohammad Ilyas is at top of the list of these militants who were an exceptional risk and harmful for the state. Department of Defense, Joint Task Force Guantanamo in its secret letter//20290528, also made available with Geo News, Ilyas was playing a lead role for Afghan Taliban in Konduz having affiliation with al Qaeda. He has been involved in recruitment techniques of the Tableeghi Jamaat and looking after its operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He later was transferred to Pakistan from Guantanamo and put in Karachi jail in 2004, read official documents. But he managed to flee from jail eight years back and found untraced since then. His name included to the list of most wanted 190 terrorists whose names included to Schedule IV after it has been determined that the detainee poses a high risk to Pakistan’s security. 

The Sindh police was also searching for Zulqarnain Haider Naqvi who is founder of SMP and involved many cases of sectarian killings and terrorism in Karachi and Punjab. Police sources said he shifted Holland while government of Sindh also announced head money as well. Hassan Raza Kashmiri alias Nana is also wanted to Sindh police who was recently listed to list of jet black terrorists. He is among top leaders of SMP but police sources said Hassan Raza Kashmiri fled away to Ethiopia on Passport No: CM-1792879 through Emirate Airline’s Flight in 2009. Provincial security forces, in a letter, vide No SO (JUDL-II) HD/4:18/2013, requested Ministry of Interior for strict action against him.  

Mamoon alias Bangali and Mohammad Anees, who are wanted to law enforcement agencies, fled away to Bangladesh. Both were returned from Afghanistan where they had been fighting against American forces. Counterterrorism forces asked Home Department Sindh to initiate the necessary action against them. Jundallah Pakistan Commander Dr Akram is wanted to Sindh police. He was arrested in Karachi soon after returned from Afghanistan in 2001 and later managed to escape from jail and fled to the United Arab Emirates. But later he returned and arrested sent to jail after charged under an anti terrorism court by police but against he managed to escape. 

Central leader of Lyari Gangwar Shahid Bikik alias Bhai went underground after he was found involved in the blast and murder case of Bilal Sheikh (Coordinator of Bilawal House Karachi). An arrested accused namely Faraz alias Laddo alias Baloch disclosed during the course of interrogation that Shahid Bikik has provided him money and hideout to target killer Noman Kiala for killing his opponent belongs to SSP and MQM (Altaf Group), revealed the official documents.

Senior commander of SSP Ghulab Khan, who was master planner of various sectarian attacks, happened in Karachi shifted to Dubai. Gul Muhammad and Faisal of Muhajir Qaumi Moment, who were involved various crimes, shifted to unknown places. To know the facts, when The News approached Spokesperson Sindh Police Office, officials said the post is lying vacant since months. Sohail Ahmed, Public Relations Officer Sindh Police, however, did not comment on it.

Former Inspector General Police Sindh Afzal Shigri believed that the police have to trace out sleeper cells these militants, who went underground. “It seems to be a failure of police as we fail to form a strong structure of law enforcing agencies,” he told Geo News.