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Tahir Saeen Group: higher-degree militants

Farhan Zahid

 Dr. Farhan Zahid is an expert of counter-terrorism and Islamist militant groups in . His book Roots of Islamic Violent Activism in South Asia was published in 2014.

n May 13, a group of militants in sectarian bloodbath, its involvement O police uniforms intercepted a seemed plausible. bus near , a suburb of near Karachi University. The As police progressed in its bus was carrying minority Ismaili investigation, the ISIS connection got Shias.1 Six of them entered the bus, weakened. Instead, some members of one of them over the driver’s seat and the attackers were in contact with another guarded the vehicle door. Ayman Al-Zawahiri, leader of Al- The other four started indiscriminate Qaeda, which didn’t endorse ISIS’s firing for 10 to 12 minutes.2 Forty claim of militant caliphate. What’s three people were killed in the more, it emerged that the cell that massacre.3 carried out the attack was linked to AQ’s branch in the Indian No one could deny the involvement subcontinent, Al-Qaeda in Sub- of sectarian groups in the killing. continent (AQIS), formed recently to What wasn’t clear was the exact ward off ISIS’s luring of South Asia’s group behind the attack. militant groups.5

Initial reports pointed towards the A police officer said the accused involvement of Islamic State in Iraq militants established their own group and Syria, popularly known by its in 2014 without naming it. Hence, it acronym ISIS or Arabic translation was referred by the cell leader’s Daish. The group’s sworn ally in name, Tahir Saeen, who ordered Pakistan, Jundullah, based in most of the terrorist activities. His Karachi, was quick to claim second-in-command Saad Aziz, aka responsibility of the attack.4 The Tun Tun or John, masterminded perpetrators of the attacks had also many attacks. The cell’s activities dropped leaflets of the ISIS at the largely revolved around them. spot, displaying their affection to it. Investigators found that the two, like Perhaps because ISIS indulges in many other of the cell’s members, hailed from diverse socio-economic

1 Ismailism is a branch of Shia Islam and 3 Imtiaz Ali, “43 killed in attack on bus commonly known as Seveners which carrying Ismailis in Karachi,” Dawn, May means unlike traditional Shias who 14, 2015. believe in 12 Imams (faith leaders) the 4Faraz Khan, “Macabre violence: Ugly Ismailis believe in seven. face of terror,” Express Tribune, May 14, 2 Salis bin Perwaiz, “Safoora Goth 2015. attackers were inspired by IS,” The News 5 Hafeez Tunio, “Arrested Safoora Goth International, July 2, 2015, attack mastermind behind Sabeen’s http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays- murder,” Express Tribune, May 20, 2015. News-4-326642-Safoora-Goth-attackers- were-inspired-b.

Paper backgrounds with sound educational Members of the group were trained credentials. in bomb manufacture, assassinations, reconnaissance, counter intelligence Anatomy of the cell and counter interrogation. Part of their ‘expertise’ owes to their high The Tahir Saeen group has all the technical education, including in traits of a classic terrorist group: few engineering. Strikingly, their leader members but high expertise. Tahir was a high school dropout.

The group, which was involved in orchestrating more than 15 terrorist attacks in Karachi, has never more than 15-20 members. That was one reason why the cell remained out of the radar of police and other security agencies for a very long period of time. Cell Educational Expertise member background 1 Abdul B. Sc. Engineering Rehman from N.E.D Shujaat Engineering University, Karachi 2 Saad Aziz BBA from Institute of Dealt with Business propaganda; Administration, translated material, Karachi managed pro- 3 Azhar Ishrat B.Sc. Electronic Expertjihadism in Albomb- Engineering from Sir makingRashidun magazine Syed University, Karachi 4 Tahir Matriculate Group’s leader, Minhas involved in planning and executing terror plots 5 Hafiz Nasir Masters in Islamic Involved in planning Studies from and executing terror plots 6 Asadur Graduate Rehman

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The cell was assisted by one female and ISIS’s philosophy, was carried by collaborator Saadia, who is still at the Tahir group, too. large. According to police sources Saadia is wife of a local Al-Qaeda The cell members, following the commander and was tasked for cardinal principle of plausible recruitment of potential jihadis.1 deniability among terror outfits, Some of the other assailants are at deliberately did not know each still not apprehended. other’s real name. Instead, they called each other through aliases. What bound these myriad The group was quite careful in individuals together was strong recruiting new members. That was ideology, reflective in their hatred of one reason the group swelled to a the West and minorities. handful of members during its life span. Some say the cell’s members were either linked to AQ or inspired by it. Subsequent investigations found that Others say the cell wanted to affiliate each one of cell members had with the ISIS.2According to some participated in the Safoora Goth experts, the cell members might be attack, having worked for months on affiliated with Al-Qaeda but because the possibilities of targeting the of the growing popularity of ISIS in community service bus. According to jihadi circles they had ambitions to police, the cell members planned and network their cell with rehearsed for two months and visited ISIS.3Apparently, the cell members the location seven times. They kept were part of Al-Qaeda’s sleeper monitoring the bus passing through network, as at least one member the same route, over and over, and (Tahir Minhas) had personally met finally prepared a map with circling AQ’s top leaders in Afghanistan. points of deployment of cell members. Still, what is established is the group’s belief in the notion of tafkir, The equipment recovered from cell declaring other Muslims apostate. members included TT pistols, That notion, evident in both AQ’s Kalashnikovs, laptops, explosive material, jihad literature, and hit lists of media personnel, fashion

1“Probe reveals involvement of female 2 Imtiaz Ali, “IS-inspired militants behind terror suspect in group behind Safoora Safoora carnage, Sabeen Mahmud incident,” Such TV, June 3, 2015, murder,” Dawn, July 1, 2015. http://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/sindh 3 Author’s interview with Amir Rana, /item/23998-probe-reveals- expert on terrorism and security issues, involvement-of-female-terror-suspect-in- Islamabad. group-behind-safoora-incident.html.

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Paper designers, NGO workers, and law An odd leader enforcement agencies personnel.4 Safoora Goth attack was the Although the group came under the brainchild of cell’s leader Tahir radar after the Safoora Goth incident, Minhas, who apparently seemed an it had masterminded several other odd element in the cell: he hailed attacks in Karachi in recent months from Punjab, unlike many others including targeted assassination of who came from Karachi; and being a NGO worker Sabeen Mehmud in simple matriculate, he was the least April 2015; firing and critically educated of other members. Yet, he wounding American Professor Dr was the cell’s main planner, founder, Debra Lobo in April 2015; suicide and lynchpin. The cell he founded attack on Brigadier Basit of Sindh was in fact known by his name, Tahir Rangers in February 2015 (Brigadier Saeen group.7 Basit narrowly escaped while four others were injured in the attack); Tahir had earlier worked for AQIS grenade attacks on private co- under Jalal, a cousin of Ramzi education institutes in February and Yousaf, the main perpetrator of 1993 March 2015; targeted killing of some World Trade Center bombing, workers of secular political party disclosed a senior Karachi police Muttahida Quami Movement officer.8 Even now, investigators (MQM) and members of Bohra found, Jalal cell of AQ exists, most community;5 and bomb attacks on probably in Baloch-populated police patrolling parties and targeted area of Karachi. Tahir Saeen formed killing of police personnel in at least his own cell, after breaking from Jalal five different locations in the city.6 cell.9

Tahir’s connections with Al-Qaeda dated back to 1990s. Much before the 9/11 attacks, he visited Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, where, besides getting trained at AQ-run camps, he

4 Hafeez Tunio, “Arrested Safoora attack 6HafeezTunio, “Arrested Safoora Goth mastermind behind Sabeer’s murder: mastermind behind Sabeen’s murder.” Sindh CM,” Express Tribune, May 20, 7 Salis bin Perwaiz, “Safoora Goth 2015. attackers were inspired by IS,” The News 5 “Umar Kaathio Al-Qaeda Sindh's head, International, June 2, 2015. reveal Safoora terrorists,” Dunya News, 8 Ibid. June 22, 2015, 9 Imtiaz Ali, “Safoora bus attack suspects http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pa wanted to establish their links with IS,” kistan/285507-Umar-Kaathio-AlQaeda- Dawn, July 2, 2015, Sindhs-head-reveal-Safoora. http://www.dawn.com/news/1191674.

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Tahir Saeen Group: Higher-Degree Militants personally met AQ’s leader Osama coming close to police. According to Bin Laden and ideologue Ayman al- Karachi police, Tahir has been Zawahiri several times.10 involved in terrorist activities since 1998 and acquired special expertise A veteran jihadi, Tahir was in contact in using Rocket Propelled Grenade with AQ’s Pakistani leaders, (RPG). including the emir of Sindh province, Umar Kaathio, a resident of Kotri After the Safoora Goth attacks, he district. Minhas says that he joined was finally arrested from Al-Qaeda on Kaathio’s advice.11 The Bahawalpur, southern Punjab.14 two had even worked in Hyderabad district. Second-in-command

It was in Hyderabad that Tahir Saad Aziz, a Karachite, was highly started colluding with Saad Aziz, educated, with upper-class-urban and launched terror attacks at police family background. Unlike Minhas, parties and killed seven police Aziz was born and raised in Karachi officers, three members of Bohri to an educated Punjabi family long community, and three workers settled in Karachi. His father, himself MQM.12 In 2006, in Hyderabad, a business graduate, had worked for Minhas was arrested for killing a a multinational corporation Unilever Hindu boy but later released in 2009 as Executive Director, in Karachi. and shifted to Karachi.13 Aziz did his O-levels from Beacon When he had first come to Karachi, House School and A-levels from he faced difficulty in recruiting Lyceum School, both elite schools in people. Eventually, with the support Karachi. Saad qualified the highly- of Hafiz Nasir, a Jamaat-e-Islami competitive entry exam of the member, Tahir managed to form his country’s leading business school, cell, which conducted score of the Institute of Business terrorist activities, without even

10 Hafeez Tunio, “Arrested Safoora attack kistan/285507-Umar-Kaathio-AlQaeda- mastermind behind Sabeer’s murder: Sindhs-head-reveal-Safoora. Sindh CM,” Express Tribune, May 20, 12 Ibid. 2015; “Pakistan’s educated jihadis,” 13 Ibid. Deutsche Welle, May 22, 2015, 14 Naimat Khan, “Killers of Ismailis, http://www.dw.com/en/pakistans- Sabeen arrested Al-Qaeda network of educated-jihadists/a-18467631. graduates behind Safoora, Mahmud's 11 “Umar Kaathio Al-Qaeda Sindh's head, killings,” Frontier Post, reveal Safoora terrorists,” Dunya News, http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article June 22, 2015, print/300418/killers-of-ismailis-sabeen- http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pa arrested-al-qaeda-network-of-graduates- behind-safoora-mahmud-s-killings.

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Administration (IBA),15 in Bachelor splinter group, a mixture of al Qaeda of Business Administration, which he and Hizbut Tahrir. Hizbut Tahrir is completed in 2011.1617 not violent, but this group is using their ideology and literature.”18 At the IBI, initially, he was a usual undergraduate student. He was fond The Society organizes guest lecture at of football, had girl friends, and hung the IBA where Islamist speakers are out with friends on regular basis. His invited to speak about the Muslim grades in the first two years were way of life.19 The Society appears to reasonably good, too. But then, mid- be thoroughly Islamist, as reflected in ways, Saad drifted towards its vision, which “attempt[s] to radicalization. Slowly and gradually, establish the realization among the he disconnected himself from all of students of IBA that Islam is not his previous friends. merely a religion, but the complete code of life and provides us with the It emerged that Saad was coming best solution for our every sphere of under the influence of Iqra Society at life including our academics and the the IBA, a religious reading and corporate world.”20 discussion group. Disconnected with old friends, Saad maintained contacts Among their past events, according with his new friends. to its website, the Society raised the plight of jailed Islamist terrorist Dr Iqra Society’s role in radicalizing him Afia Siddiqui and highlighted her has been ignored by the law- case at their forum, where former enforcement bodies. British journalist Mariam Ridley also spoke. Mariam, formerly Yvonne From its website, the Society seems a Ridley, had converted to Islam after look-alike of Hizbut Tahrir, which her captivity by Taliban in 2001 and promotes Islamist values amongst became an outspoken supporter of the educated, liberal, and affluent Taliban and Al-Qaeda. According to students. As Deputy Inspector the Society’s website, Ridley later General of Police, Karachi South, visited Fouzia Siddiqui, sister of Dr said, “Al Qaeda subcontinent is a Afia, at her house in Karachi.21 For its

15 Current President of Pakistan 18 “Good degrees and Kalashnikovs,” Mamnoon Hussain and former Prime Express Tribune, May 21, 2015. Minister Shaukat Aziz studied at IBA 19Sidrah Roghay, “The many shades of Karachi. Saad Aziz,” The Friday Times, June 5, 16 “Saad Aziz confesses to Sabeen's 2015. murder for holding Valentine's Day 20Official website of IBA Iqra Society, rally,” Express Tribune, May 22, 2015. http://iqra.iba.edu.pk/aboutus.html. 17Author’s discussions with IBA students. 21Official website of IBA Iqra Society, http://iqra.iba.edu.pk/events.html.

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Tahir Saeen Group: Higher-Degree Militants apparent links with former members jihad training too, “he went of Jamaat-e-Islami such as Fouzia somewhere for a few months. Siddiqui, the Society appears to be a Someone said he had gone for jihad conduit of Jamaat’s student wing at training.”25 the IBA Karachi, where, otherwise, student politics is strictly prohibited. Commenting on Saad’s transformation, one of his former During his stay with the Society, he schoolmates from Lyceum days translated anti-Shia sect hate wrote: speeches of Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, the founder of anti-Shia organization “Saad never had a group. He could be Sipah-e-Sahaba in late 1980s. He gave seen floating from one group of Jhangvi’s speech the title “The men friends to another, never really who rocked Kufr.”22 seeming like he belonged to any one in particular. He tried his luck on the ‘dabo’ board, spent a few weeks on Aziz’s sectarian overture also runs the foosball table and even attempted through the Society’s magazine, Al- to join the drama gang, but he Rashideen too, which he, along with remained on the periphery…The eight others, edited and published at extremists may able to offer him the IBA. Introducing the first issue of something that our schooling system the magazine, he termed it a was unable to: a group of people “platform where relevant issues where we felt valued, where we have 26 facing the Ummah are studied and purpose.” analysed upon by students of Aziz alongside cell’s Emir Tahir colleges and universities, and Minhas planned and executed Muslim youngsters whose first or terrorist attacks. Saad’s grasp over second language is English.”23 English language, sound educational background and being a local Iqra Society exposed Saad to the writings of ultra-radical Islamist Karachite gave him an advantage ideologue Sayyid Qutb. Saad once over other cell members. He was more interested in targeting asked his friend, “Have you read Milestones by Sayyid Qutb? It has westerners and westernized Pakistanis (which he himself was changed my life.”24 His friends even believe that Saad might have gone to once).

22 Ibid 25 “Saad Aziz confesses to Sabeen’s 23 “Good degrees and Kalashnikovs,” murder for holding Valentine’s Day Express Tribune, May 21, 2015. rally,” Express Tribune, May 22, 2015. 24Naeem Sahoutara, “Eyewitness 26 Shehzad Ghais, “My friend from IBA, identifies Saad Aziz as American an extremist?,” Express Tribune, May 27, professor’s primary shooter,” Express 2015. Tribune, June 27, 2015.

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In April 2015, for instance, he moreover, he owned a restaurant The planned and executed the attack on Cactus at a posh locality, Sindhi Debra Lobo, an American professor Muslim Housing Society in at Karachi’s Jinnah Dental College.27 Karachi.30 She was critically injured in the attack. Conclusion

His other target didn’t survive: “He was a very hardworking Sabeen Mehmud, Director of The child and passed with good Second Floor (T2F), who publicly grades. It is troubling to know condemned religious extremism, was that terrorist thoughts and shot five times.28 Aziz confessed of ideologies have also managed to the murder, saying, affect youngsters with good education and decent parentage.”31 “We shot her for holding a Valentine’s Day rally. … My friend was riding the These were the words of a teacher of motorcycle but I was sitting at Saad, a key member of the cell. Like the back and I shot her. … When Saad, others belonged to urban upper she sat in the car after her class with sound professional Balochistan seminar [which she education. Once again, it forces had hosted], I followed her and policy makers to revisit the when her car stopped at Sunset assumptions made on terrorism and Boulevard signal I shot her. … education. We followed her for days and gathered information on her To recall, in the past too, it was AQ before killing her.”29 that had links with terrorists having higher degrees. Examples include Despite adhering to militant Islamist “Doctors Cell” of Dr Akmal Waheed ideology, working with his Al- and Dr Arshad Waheed in Karachi, Qaeda-linked cell fellows and “Ata-ur-Rehman-led Jundullah” in personally involved in high profile Karachi, and “Hammad Adil Cell” of Islamist terrorist attacks, he Islamabad. Tahir Saeen cell seems maintained a regular routine life. He like another such cell. got married after completing his education and had a daughter;

27 “Saad Aziz confesses of murdering 29 “Saad Aziz confesses to Sabeen’s policeman,” Express Tribune, June 17, murder for holding Valentine’s Day 2015. rally,” Express Tribune, May 22, 2015. 28 “Director T2F Sabeen Mehmud shot 30Sidrah Roghay, “The many shades of dead in Karachi,” Dawn, April 25, 2015. Saad Aziz,” The Friday Times, June 5, 2015. 31 Ibid.

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This should force researchers and In the near future, such cell-like policymakers to study and analyse structure may become headache for the changing nature of Islamist law enforcement investigators in militants in urban centres like near future. Karachi, Islamabad and Hyderabad. What appears is that A-Qaeda, which That the Tahir Saeen Cell, which has started off from a highly centralized been working in Karachi and structure, is turning more and more Hyderabad for at least two years, was decentralized, resulting into its finally busted by the local police sleeper cells. makes a strong case for better intelligence-led proactive policing. Other terrorism-ravaged countries like Germany, France, Italy and United Kingdom, largely rely on their police forces.

Urban terrorism can be tackled by providing high-quality surveillance equipment to police force rather than by relying on other non-investigative security bodies.

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