Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London’s Kehkashan Haider has been running a target killing network and is planning assassinations to trigger sectarian violence and chaos in Karachi, officials said on Thursday.
Counter-Terrorism Department DIG Omar Shahid Hamid told a press conference along with Rangers officials in Karachi that an intelligence-based operation was ongoing since 2017 when the Sindh Rangers had arrested a team of MQM-London target killers. It was found that the female activist of MQM-L, who lives in Texas, United States, ran a target killing network in Karachi, Hamid said.
An audio recording of Kehkashan speaking to an unidentified man, suspected to be a target killer, and offering him money was also played during the press conference. In the audio, she can be heard telling the man on the other line to “send his love” to the target and demanding confirmation of the assassination attempt. She says on the call: “Our life depends on it.” She reiterated to the man on the line that the “job” has to be completed. She also provides details of the payments to be made to the hitman and arrangements for his security and transport while adding that he would be flown abroad after the successful kill.
DIG Hamid and Col Shabbir of Rangers identified the woman as US-based MQM-L activist Kehkashan Haider. According to DIG Hamid, she has been based in Texas since the 1990s and has remained a close aide of MQM founder Altaf Hussain. “The MQM-L’s Coordination Committee member, Kehkashan Haider, has established target killer groups in collaboration with India’s RAW and anti-Pakistan Sindhi and Baloch groups to target law enforcement agencies, police and political and religious leaders in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi,” Hamid said.
Colonel Shabbir said their targets had been individuals whose deaths held potential for creating sectarian strife in the city while DIG Hamid added that other targets were politicians of the city. He refused to share any further details about the targets, citing “concerns about their safety”.
DIG Hamid said details of the alleged plot to target these personalities were uncovered by the CTD and the Pakistan Rangers after interrogation of recently arrested alleged hitmen affiliated with the MQM-L from Karachi and other parts of Sindh. The interrogations revealed that targeted killing teams had been re-established under directions of the MQM-L chief. “These new targeted killing teams were being patronised by Kehkashan Haider,” he said.
The CTD has registered a case against Haider under Sections 11-H and 11-N of Anti-Terrorism Act of Pakistan pertaining to terror financing, DIG Hamid said. “This has always been a purpose of the MQM-L that terrorism is spread in Karachi […] so there is no doubt that it is a constant effort of theirs to once again plant feet in Karachi.”
He said it was “alarming” that a woman based in the US was coordinating such illicit activities in Karachi “like a mafia don”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be approached to “take up this matter with the relevant law enforcement institutions of the US government”, according to the police officer.
“A clear line of financial transactions is appearing when we traced bank accounts and transactions,” he said, adding that the evidence of financial transactions for terror financing made Pakistan’s case stronger. “If there is any aspect of money laundering in this, [then] it will be investigated according to the Anti-Money Laundering Act and looked at by the FIA [Federal Investigation Agency].”
He gave assurances that investigations into the case would be impartial and would not target any political party, referring to the MQM-Pakistan and Pak Sarzameen Party.
