Posted on 09/28/2004 6:05:43 PM PDT by Perdogg
Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has said that killed suspect Amjad Farooqi was maintaining close links with central leadership of Al-Qaeda who wanted to target important personalities including President general Pervez Musharraf.
He was addressing a press conference here in PIDC on Monday. State minister for information, Aneesa Zeb, DG National Crisis Management Cell, Brig Javed Iqbal Cheema and PIO, Akram Shaheedi were also present on the occasion.
Sherpao held that nothing would be concealed from the media whatever incident takes place in the country.
About Amjad Farooqi he pointed out that security agencies had played a vital role in killing him. Amjad Farooqi alias Haider Ali was known as Abuzar Ghaffari and Mansoor Shani. He was linked to a banned religious outfit Sepah-e-Sahaba since 1985 and was holding extremist ideas. He joined Harkat Jehad Islami in 1991. He remained associated with Naeem Bokhari, Asif Ramzi and Akram Lahori. Omar Sheikh a close associate of Naeem Bokhair was involved in the kidnap for ransom case, Sherpao told.
Giving more details about Farooqi, Sherpao said that he was running Al-Farooq camp in Kandahar. Farooqi remained operational mate of Osama Nazir of Harkat ul Mujahideen and Hamza Shakeel who were arrested with Riaz Basra. During his stay in Afghanistan, Farooqi attached himself with Saif Ullah (Egyptian) who was a key activist of Al-Qaeda. He also worked with Abu Faraj of Libya who was mastermind of assassination attempt on President General Pervez Musharraf, Sherpao informed.
Sherpao disclosed that another Egyptian Hamza Rabbi was involved in second life attempt on President Musharraf. Farooqi also worked with Hamza. Abu Bakar Alshoori, a Syrian was a training master. He is expert of conducting explosions. Besides, Abdul Hadi Al-Iraqi was operational commander. Iraqi was also incharge of operations against coalition forces, Sherpao told.
Sherpao went on to say that Khalid Sheikh and other Al-Qaeda leaders had directed Farooqi to target important personalities including General Musharraf in Pakistan. Farooqi also remained indulged in anti state activities and eventually was killed in Nawab Shah by security forces. Farooqi had links with senior leadership of Al-Qaeda. He was also involved in several terrorist attacks in tribal areas, Sherpao stated.
Farooqi was also behind the attack on US consulate in Karachi, Sherpao indicated. He also tried to target Jacobabad airport in February 2002. He also struck a church in Islamabad on March 17, 2002 and Bahawalpur Church in May, 2002. Farooqi made several attacks to hit the president Musharraf and foreigners in Karachi. He was indulged in life attempts on the president in 2003 and adopted several methods for these attacks.
Sherpao informed that Farooqi had also planned to target several high profile personalities in NWFP. He had become a challenge for law enforcement agencies. He escaped every time. Ultimately he was trapped in Nawab Shah. He made children and women as his shield and he was killed through surgical operation. His DNA test has proved that person killed in Nawab Shah was Farooqi.
Farooqi had Rs 20 million bounty on his head, Sherpao told. The arrest of his accomplices had led to uncover plans of several terrorist attacks. Government has detected that they were planning to target important personalities in the country through suicide attacks, explosive material and by using extremist elements.
Interior minister indicated that dead body of Farooqi is lying in morgue. We will see when his family members contact us, he added.
Sherpao informed that Pakistani agencies took part in operation against Farooqi and not any US agency was involved in operation. " We will continue war on terror for the sake of national interests", he announced. The current incidents have nothing to do with US presidential elections, he added.
Referring to Wana situation he said that government has taken several steps for improvement in Wana situation. " We want to resolve this issue through negotiations. We don't want to target Pakistanis at any cost therefore we had offered amnesty to foreigners", he added.
He maintained that they can not say anything that following the death of Farooqi, President Musharraf will no more be targeted.
He reiterated that operation against the terrorists would continue. Most of the foreigners are hiding in Mahsood areas. Therefore, 21-member jirga has been set up which has talked to the elders of the area. Jirga is receiving positive response. Foreigners have realised the situation and they are creating difficulties for jirga.
He informed that one incident took place on Monday in which five personnel of law enforcement agencies were killed. Two vehicles were completely damaged.
Chairman of National Management Cell, Brig Javed Cheema said that they had undeniable proofs against Farooqi and these will be presented before the court when asked.
He stated that MMA parliamentarians have been allowed to visit FATA. No one will be allowed to politicise Wana issue, he added.-Online
Another one bites the dust.
To bad he wasn't taken alive.
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