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Saturday, February 28, 2009

CID report reveals Taliban presence in Karachi


By Samir Qureshi

A report by the CID Special Branch has revealed that Taliban are present in the city.

According to details, the special branch additional IG has sent a written report to the DIG and Sindh Government about the secret hideouts of Taliban in the city. Sources in the report have revealed that Taliban, belonging to tribal areas, were residing in Sohrab Goth and Quaidabad in the small motels in the areas. Apart from that, the Taliban were also hiding in the hills of Manghopir and Orangi town as well as in other low-income areas and slums. The report said that the Taliban has huge caches of weapons and ammunition with them and they could take the city hostage at any point. Sources have also said that the Naib Ameer of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban, Hasan Mahmood, was also hiding in Karachi.

After the report, police and security personnel are said to be terrified, as already the MQM has said many times that the Taliban were in the city. Some time ago, on a tip off, Anti-Violent Crime Cell’s head SSP Farooq Awan, along with a police party, had raided a guesthouse in Sohrab Goth but the Taliban apprehended them instead. The Taliban were trying to execute the policemen when another police party intervened. Though the policemen managed to get away, two policemen died while Awan and 11 other policemen were seriously injured. After this operation, CID SSP Fayyaz Khan and Aslam Khan raided the location and arrested eight men who were said to be pro Taliban militants and were involved in the attack on Awan.

Meanwhile, on the directives of the Sindh government, a survey has been undertaken on the rest houses all over Karachi while police high-ups have asked for surveillance of these facilities.