LAHORE - Security agencies have feared a new wave of foreign-sponsored target killings in Karachi after Altaf Hussain’s remarks to hit senior security officials and business community on their refusal to pay extortion money, security officials told The Nation yesterday.
The security agencies have warned their political bosses of a new wave of foreign-sponsored terrorism in Karachi, which can target the opponents of Altaf Hussain, security personnel and business community, they added.
The warning based on some pieces of intelligence information and assessments said RAW-trained hitmen of MQM’s militant wing sitting in South Africa, Malaysia and Thailand have been issued directions to target the people who do not obey him under the changed law and order situation, following the Karachi operation.
At the same time, members of security services can also be targeted by the hitmen, trained and funded by Indian secret service RAW, said the security agencies’ officials, while sharing some pieces of information about the emerging threat against the backdrop of Altaf Hussain’s remarks to target MQM opposition, security officials and businessmen who refuse to pay extortion money.
The MQM chief, in his address to the party leaders and workers on Monday from London, not only raised slogans against Pakistan but also incited them to attack media houses and senior officials of Rangers, the main force leading the Karachi operation.
“Pakistan is cancer for the entire world. Who says long live Pakistan is down with Pakistan,” said the MQM supremo.
“So you are moving to ARY and Samaa offices from here, right?”, he asked the crowd to receive a unanimous and loud reply in the affirmative. “So you go to Samaa and ARY today and then refresh tomorrow for the Rangers place. And tomorrow we would lock down the Sindh government building which is called Sindh Secretariat,” the questions asked and directions issued to his party men in Karachi by Altaf Hussain were aimed to invite a civil war.
The security agencies officials also told the paper that RAW-trained hitmen could attempt to create a sectarian strife in the provincial capital of Sindh.
Intelligence agencies are monitoring the Jinnah International Airport and other main airports to stop the possible entry of Altaf’s foreign-sponsored hitmen in the country.
The agencies are making efforts to hunt down the sleeper units in Karachi that could assist the hitmen from South Africa, Thailand and Malaysia.
The ex-security officials who served in Karachi and familiar with Altaf Bhai party’s militant wing tactics said the hitmen if achieve their target can slip into the Punjab and remain in hiding for some time and then escape to their foreign stations.
One of the security officials told the paper that he had hunted down key hitmen of Altaf Bhai from south Punjab in chase-out operations.
“It was the pattern in Karachi that violence increased in the city with target killings whenever there was a challenge posed to the criminal or militant wing of Altaf Bhai, which is the source of fear power and MQM supremo’s unchallenged grip over the party,” he said.
It is quite a difficult task to hunt down the hit team as there are several facilitator sleepers involved in assisting those tasked to hit the target, said the ex-security official, while sharing some of his experiences to hunt down a terrorist-team or their hitmen before they could achieve their target.
Altaf Hussain party’s militant wing carries out activities using four facilitator cells. The first cell has the task of providing housing and lodging to the hit team, but this cell is not allowed to ask anything from them. The second cell is assigned the task of reconnaissance of the target, but they don’t know that the target they are scouting is in the list of elimination. The third one is directed to provide weapons and the fourth has the duty of providing them with transport without asking questions, he explained.