Chief of Ansar-ul-Sharia was in contact with other terror group

The chief of the Ansarul Shariah Pakistan (ASP) was in contact with members of a proscribed group which was involved in a major terrorist attack in the country, confirmed a security official on Wednesday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that the attack was carried out in Karachi during 2014.

During the attack, three militants were killed and later a number of their associates were apprehended by law enforcement authorities.

Security officials confirmed that the ASP chief was in contact with other banned outfits after Abdullah Hashmi’s laptop was examined by forensic specialists. 

Law enforcement agencies are now re-investigating the Karachi attack.

“During the investigation, it was unearthed that the death squad which attacked police officials in Karachi comprised of four members including Danish Rasheed, Sarosh Siddiqui, Muzammil Ali Junaidi and Hassan Nazeer”, revealed an officer who is part of the ongoing investigation of ASP.

"Two of them were assigned to shoot, one was tasked with making a video of the attack and the last one was responsible for providing backup to them”.

The source has also claimed that the real name of Dr. Abdullah Hashmi is Sheharyaruddin Warsi; he was responsible for the selection of targets but never participated in any assault.

The official also claimed that as members of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Sarosh Siddiqui, Sheharyaruddin Warsi, Muzammil Ali Junaidi and Osama went to Afghanistan in 2015 to receive militant training in the Baramcha area. They also joined Al-Qaeda there.

Sarosh received serious injuries after his return to Karachi, as reportedly the close-knit group members had a clash with JeM activists in the Orangi Town area of the metropolis.

Meanwhile, forensic examination of the laptops recovered from the house of Sarosh Siddiqui suggests that he developed a software (AM) to change IP addresses and to tamper with a phone's IMEI – International Mobile Equipment Identity.

Officials believe that the upper portion of Siddiqui's house was serving as the headquarters of ASP.

A security official present during the raid at Hashmi’s house also said that Hashmi did not resist arrest and was ready to cooperate after being assured he would not be killed.  

An officer whose team participated in the raid at Sarosh Siddiqui’s house, told Geo News, “His (Sarosh Siddiqui) father lied to security officials and said he was not present at the house and had gone to offer prayers at a nearby mosque. When policemen moved to the upper portion of the house, Siddiqui opened fire with his two pistols which martyred a policeman and injured another.

Siddiqui also attacked an armoured vehicle of the police force and took away an AK-47 rifle.

Earlier in September, security forces arrested the head of ASP from Kaneez Fatima society.

Ansarul Shariah

The group has been involved in multiple terror incidents in Karachi and Mastung, security sources have said.

The group first made headlines in Karachi in April this year in the targeted killing of a retired army colonel.

Police officials also believe the group is behind several attacks on police officials in Karachi in the past few months and an IED blast targeting security forces in Mastung.

The outfit was not inspired by Daesh's ideology, but instead, it was influenced by Al-Qaeda's Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Initially, it did operate under Daesh's umbrella, however, differences led to the parting of the ways later.

The group comprises of militants from Al-Qaeda Subcontinent, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Daesh, sources said.