weapons, including automatic rifles, recovered from the raid. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Law-enforcement agencies claimed on Friday to have arrested 64 suspects, including 14 Afghans, and seized a cache of explosives, weapons and liquor from them in different raids in the capital’s suburbs.
The Islamabad Police along with Rangers, Rawalpindi police and personnel of security agencies conducted a search operation in Koral and Sihala police limits and Airport police’s jurisdiction in Rawalpindi following directions from the interior minister.
Authorities also raided the ‘dera’ of incarcerated local landlord Taji Khokhar. Apart from the arrest of several suspects and seizure of weapons and liquor from his sprawling estate near Koral Chowk, the police also recovered lions, a bear and boots in use of Rangers personnel, sources said. The animals were shifted to the provincial wildlife department, while several non-custom paid vehicles were also recovered from the estate.
At least 67 weapons, 3,000 bullets, and many bottles of imported liquor were seized during the operation, said a police spokesperson.
Officials also raided areas in Iqbal Town, Sohan, Koral and Humak.
SP Rural Dr Mustafa Tanveer said Afghan cards of the nabbed suspects would be verified and their mobile phones’ record would be obtained.
Tanveer added that search operations would continue in the coming days.
Khokhar is accused of murdering a woman, Sabra Bibi, in Dhoke Gangal over a land dispute in August 2012. Khokhar and several others including his sons and employees were sent to Adiala Jail in 2013.
Tahir Khan Niazi, the additional district and sessions judge hearing the case against Khokhar, was murdered at his residence last month, and police claim to have arrested the killers. The case has now been assigned a new judge.
Khokhar is the brother of former National Assembly deputy speaker Haji Nawaz Khokhar of the Pakistan Peoples Party.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2015.
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