KARACHI: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) carried out a successful operation near Naval Colony on Hub River Road in Karachi, arresting a wanted terrorist affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) along with an accomplice.
According to CTD officials, the arrested suspect, Ismail Swati, was listed at serial number 87 in the CTD Red Book of most-wanted militants. He was allegedly involved in fundraising and extortion activities for TTP.
Senior Superintendent of Police Irfan Ali Bahadur stated that the suspect was wanted in multiple cases, including the 2023 murder of a butcher, Abdul Qayyum Qasai, in Pirabad for refusing to pay extortion. His accomplice in that case, Abdul Ghani, had earlier been killed in a police encounter.
Officials further revealed that Ismail Swati was also wanted in extortion cases registered in Preedy and Gulshan-e-Maymar areas. He is believed to be a close associate of a TTP Swat commander, Kamal Khan.
After committing crimes in Karachi, the suspect had reportedly fled to his native village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before being tracked down and arrested in the latest operation. Another suspect, Zahidullah, was also taken into custody during the raid.
Police recovered two pistols and 10 rounds of ammunition from the suspects. Cases have been registered against them under the Sindh Arms Act, and further investigations are underway.
The CTD has also formed special teams to arrest facilitators and other accomplices linked to the network, with more arrests expected in the coming days.
