KARACHI: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) announced on Saturday that it had arrested six suspects allegedly linked to India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), claiming to have dismantled a major terrorist network operating in Karachi and other parts of Sindh.
According to CTD officials, the arrests were made in a joint operation with federal intelligence agencies, which also uncovered RAW-run safe houses and a financial trail connected to terror activities.
At a press conference, CTD Additional Inspector General Azad Khan revealed that the suspects were apprehended on July 8 in connection with the targeted killing of 45-year-old barber and welfare worker Abdur Rehman in Badin on May 18, 2025. Investigators linked the murder to RAW after CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts, and forensic evidence placed three of the suspects at the crime scene.
During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to being part of a wider network run by RAW handler Sanjay Sanjeev Kumar, alias “Fouji,” based in a Gulf state. Khan said Kumar had recruited two Pakistanis and channeled large sums of money through bank accounts to finance the operation.
Funds were transferred to a man named Salman, who formed a cell comprising Umair, Sajad, Obaid, and Shakeel. The suspects allegedly stayed at a Hyderabad hotel for five days before traveling to Matli, where they surveilled the victim on May 13 and executed the attack five days later.
Following the killing, Salman reportedly fled to Nepal. CTD confirmed that financial records provided concrete evidence of terror financing. A case under terrorism and terror-financing charges has been registered.
The arrested suspects were identified as Amir Asghar, Sajad, Obaid, Shakeel, Arslan, and Talha Umair. Authorities also seized pistols, mobile phones, and a motorcycle used in the attack.
Khan further alleged that RAW coordinated the attack with the help of a banned separatist outfit, terming the incident a clear example of state-sponsored terrorism. He stressed that Pakistan would raise the matter at international forums and confirmed that further arrests are expected as investigations continue into the suspects’ networks, bank transactions, and travel history.
