Man wanted to meet Mufti Taqi Usmani caught with dagger

KARACHI: A man who wanted to meet prominent religious scholar and Vice President Darul Uloom Korangi, Karachi, Mufti Taqi Usmani, was caught after a dagger was found in his possession during the early hours of Thursday morning at the seminary.

Police investigators did not find any concrete evidence that could suggest that it was a ‘preplanned terror attack’ but it seems that the suspect was suffering from psychological problems. Police have taken his custody and initiated further investigations to ascertain the facts and the suspect’s motive.

“He (suspect) came and asked me to talk privately. As I got close to him for a talk, suddenly, he brandished a knife but people surrounded me and timely caught him,” Mufti Taqi Usmani in an audio message confirmed the incident.

The police initial investigations suggest that the suspect did not attack Mufti Usmani and had simply sought a meeting with the scholar after the Fajr prayers. Korangi SSP Shahjahan Khan told The News that the security guards found the dagger in his possession during a search. The security guards caught him and later handed him over to the police. “The suspect apparently had no malicious intent,” Korangi SSP Shahjahan Khan told The News. “We have also met with his doctor who is treating him for psychological problems for the last few years and the suspect was also taking medicines.” He was also said to be under the influence of ‘black magic’.

The officer said no case has been registered and nothing could be said exactly until the investigations were completed while the police have also sent the dagger recovered from the possession of the suspect to the forensic division of the Sindh Police to ascertain either the dagger was poisoned or not.

The 35-year-old, Asim Laiq, is a resident of Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Karachi. While defending himself, he said that he only wanted to meet Mufti Taqi Usmani. He said he wanted to speak to the scholar about a domestic issue, as he was facing domestic issues and had tried to approach Mufti Usmani to ask him to pray for him.

After the incident, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed phoned Mufti Usmani to ask about his well-being. In a tweet, the minister said he was "deeply concerned" over the "attack" on the scholar. "Mufti Taqi Usmani is an eminent scholar and the pride of Islam. I pray for his life," he said.