Sindh CM's adviser steps down after LEAs foil weapons smuggling bid

• PPP had sought Bhayo's resignation after Friday's operation.
• Case registered against four smugglers, three police personnel.
• Police mobile was escorting a double-cabin vehicle laden with arms.
  

KARACHI: After law enforcement agencies foiled an alleged weapons smuggling bid from Balochistan to Jacobabad, Allah Dino aka Babal Khan Bhayo has stepped down as the adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, The News reported on Sunday.

As per Bhayo's statement issued a day earlier, his decision to resign from the post is aimed at allowing a fair and transparent probe into Friday's failed arms smuggling attempt.

The official has also requested CM Shah to accept his resignation with immediate effect and order an inquiry into the matter.

The development comes after LEAs recovered a large number of arms and ammunition including two sub-machine guns, two G-3 rifles, 18 magazines, 1118 bullets of 7-62 bore calibre, 670 bullets of light machine gun and 200 bullets along with two cellphones and Rs2,500 from two vehicles including a double-cabin pickup truck and a police vehicle that was escorting it.

The police vehicle was sanctioned to the provincial adviser for his security and protocol, The News reported citing police sources.

According to the publication, quoting Sindh government sources, the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership had asked him to step down from the post after the LEA's successful anti-smuggling operation.

Stressing that the issue of illegal weapons' seizure on Friday was unnecessarily politicised in a bid to tarnish his reputation via accusations of his alleged involvement in the smuggling of arms, Bhayo categorically refuted such allegations saying that he had nothing to do with this incident.

Meanwhile, a case — with Inspector Ishtiaq Ahmed as the complainant — has been registered by the Jacobabad police against four smugglers and three policemen, including an ASI, under sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act on charges of smuggling of arms.

Suspects Ikhtiar Ahmed Lashari, Nabeel Ahmed Bhayo, Taufiq Ahmed Gujjar and Zakir Hussain Bhayo, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Imtiaz Ahmed Bhayo, constables Sanaullah Manganhar and Baqaullah Unnar have been booked under Section 23(i) of the Sindh Arms Act-2013 read with sections 6/7 of the ATA 1997 for escorting the smugglers' vehicle.

Jacobabad SSP Saleem Shah has said that the anti-smuggling operation was carried out on intelligence reports regarding the attempted smuggling of weapons from Balochistan for Shikarpur to be used in terrorist activities, 

Revealing that the double-cabin vehicle was registered in the name of Haji Abdul Hamid, the police officer said that five-day physical remand of the accused was obtained from an Anti-terrorism Court (ATC).