Karachi:
Pakistan's paramilitary rangers today said they have arrested a high-profile "target killer" who confessed to 12 murders. The paramilitary rangers arrested the killer last night, they said in a statement today.
The statement said that they had arrested a man from Karachi's Pir Elahi Baksh colony and during initial interrogation he had confessed to 12 murders including those of three policemen.
The statement identifies the man as Shamshad Ali and maintains that the man is linked to a political party as a 'right-hand' man of a party leader. It accuses him of leading a target killing ring that has killed 35 people on his orders.
The statement also said that the scope of the investigation would be expanded to include leaders of political parties, who have allegedly received proceeds from extortion and other illegal activities carried out by Shamshad.
Shamshad was arrested along with two others by Rangers personnel from the PIB Colony. The arrest was made near the residence of Farooq Sattar, who said that the law enforcement agency had carried out a raid in his neighborhood and removed his security details.
Meanwhile, MQM staged a walkout from the National Assembly session today and slammed the statement by Rangers terming it as political victimisation of the party.
"The decision to issue the press release by the Rangers smacked of moves by them to demonise the arrested man," Sattar told PTI.
"It is strange he has confessed to 12 killings in just 12 hours. It is an attempt to make look like a criminal. If any individual has to be investigated, the probe should be carried out in a clear manner instead of harassing residents and guards", he added.
"They are just trying to justify an illegal measure," he said. The MQM is the single largest party in Karachi and also a coalition partner of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party in the Sindh province.
They staged protests and demonstrations in parts of the city over the issue.