KARACHI – A suspect in the murder of a renowned social worker Parveen Rehman has reportedly revealed before the Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) that local leaders of Awami National Party (ANP) plotted the assassination of Rehman by hiring Taliban terrorists.
Amjad Hussain was arrested by the police during last month, October, on the suspicions of his involvement in the murder and registered a case against him.
A JIT was set up following his arrest and it has recently submitted the report to the home department in which Hussain has admitted his involvement in the assassination.
Social activist Rehman, who was the director Orangi Pilot Project, was killed in March 2013 near the Pakhtoon Market in Karachi.
Hussain informed the JIT that ANP leaders named Ayaz Swat – a prime accused – and Raheem Swati had planned to kill Rehman as an act of revenge after the social worker called the local leaders as “ANP’s Qabza Mafia” while refusing their request to obtain land for constructing a karate centre. The ANP leaders found the words derogatory.
The arrested suspect informed the JIT that he, Ayaz Swati and Ahmad alias Pappu attended a meeting at the house of Raheem Swati in January 2013 where the plan was designed.
“Raheem Swati, using Ayaz’s phone, called a local commander of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Moosa and Mehfoozullah alias Bhaloo, who both agreed to assassinate Rehman for money. They were assured of payment after completion of the task,” Dawn News quoted the confessional statement.
Later, Hussain, Raheem and Ayaz started monitoring the routine of the social activist and informed the TTP local commanders.
Rehman was killed by Moosa, Bhaloo and Pappu in front of Pakhtoon Market on March 13, 2013, Hussain confessed.
Dawn News quoted a source as saying, “During initial investigation by police, he (Amjad Husain) and other people of the vicinity recorded their statements to misguide the police”.
Hussain informed that Mossa and his aides carried out an attack on Raheem Swati’s residence after he failed to pay the decided amount for the murder of Rehman.
Due to the fear, Swati fled to his native town after the attack, the accused said.
After the assassination of the social worker, the police killed a Taliban militant Qari Bilal and claimed he had murdered Rehman, and the case was closed.
In 2014, the Supreme Court had directed the authorities to launch a fresh probe into Rehman’s murder after a judicial inquiry accused the police of manipulating the investigation.
