Terrorism from Afghanistan behind Karachi militant attack: Authorities

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities on Tuesday said that terrorism perpetrated from Afghanistan was behind the militant attack in Karachi, where at least three personnel of the Pakistan Rangers were martyred last month. 

According to a press release issued by the Pakistan Army’s media affairs wing, “Khwarij belonging to Indian proxy, Jamaat ul Ahrar” were involved in the terrorist attack that was carried out on June 27.

Pakistani authorities use the term "khwarij,” rooted in early Islamic history, to describe the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied terrorist networks, casting them as outlaws who reject legitimate authority and deliberately target civilians and state institutions.

While addressing a press conference today, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar and City Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Irfan Bahadur detailed the involvement of elements from Afghanistan in the “entire planning.”

SSP Bahadur identified the mastermind behind the attack as Qari Bashir, adding that some of the “main facilitators” and the “main smugglers” had also been arrested. 

The provincial interior minister said that the handlers of the attackers were guiding them from Afghan soil, and wanted to carry out “maximum damage” to the city, adding that the law enforcement agencies discovered a network of facilitators involved in the attack through a comprehensive effort.”

“First of all, the planning and training of terrorists in Afghanistan. Secondly, four Afghan terrorists being taken from Afghanistan to Karachi,” SSP Bahadur said, adding that there was “backing from Afghanistan to run the facilitator group in Karachi”, while also giving them instructions “till the last stage from Afghanistan.”

The “mastermind” also detailed how the leadership of Fitna al Khawarij from Afghanistan gave him instructions for the attack.