Pearl’s murder ‘mastermind’ arrested
MULTAN- Sher Sultan police have dramatically nabbed a Laskar-i-Jhangvi most wanted terrorist and head of Qari Asad Group, Qari Abdul Hayee in a surprise raid conducted at Basti Allah Buksh in Sher Sultan, District Muzaffargarh, on May 29, 2003, said officials.
A senior official on condition of anonymity said the accused was mastermind of US journalist Denial Pearl’s murder as he was the involved group chief in Karachi. However, officials did not confirm, but they said that he might remain close accomplice to masterminds. A court has awarded the accused death sentence for six times for Sher Sultan terrorist attack and the government had fixed Rs 2 million head money on his arrest. At present he was allegedly busy planning for suicide attacks in the country following stern action taken by the government against LJ activists, the officials said. The initial investigation reports revealed that the accused Qari Abdul Hayee alias Qari Assad alias Talah was residing with his family in Karachi now-a-days and he had reached Basti Allah Buksh, Sher Sultan, a few days back to meet his in-laws when a police informers informed Muzaffargarh District Police Officer (DPO) about his presence in the village. The DPO constituted a special team headed by two DSPs for raiding the house.
The accused got inspiration from Haq Nawaz Jhangvi’s audio cassette speeches and became reactionary when a man belonged to the Sunni sect was shot dead in Alipur and another number of Sunnis were killed in Lahore Rehman Mosque terrorism incident. The police investigation revealed that Qari Abdul Hayee had thrown grenades on a Shia mosque in Sher Sultan and restored to indiscriminate firing with kilashikoves along with his two accomplices on Friday on January 21, 1994. About half a dozen people died on the spot and Sher Sultan police had registered a case against the accused under Sections 302-324-148-149, 13/20/65. The investigation reports disclosed the accused had remained close aide of Riaz Bassra and had met Taliban Amir Mullah Ommar once in Afghanistan during his stay there for five years. The accused had financially helped the LJ activists and assisted Riaz Basrah in militant training of LJ absconders in Afghanistan and he trained hundreds of terrorists. He is specialist of bomb manufacturing and he had shifted from Afghanistan to Karachi after the fall of Taliban government.
The LJ group divided into two groups over differences and he formed his separate Qari Asad group led by Naeem Bokhari. He has been living in Karachi, PNT Colony, Zaman Town, since his return from Afghanistan. At present, he was Imam at Jamia Siddiq Akbar mosque. The terrorist also formed a party Karawan Muhammad during the period of 1993-94.
Shehr Sultan police produced Hayee before Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 judge Abdul Qadir Shad on May 29, 2003 for his remand and the court granted remand for two days. The police said he was shifted to New Central Jail in Multan for interrogation. Officials have sought permission from Punjab Home Secretary for case trail of LJ activist Shahbira Fauji in the jail and the court has fixed June 19 for proceedings.
Source: The News
Date:5/30/2003
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