Lawmaker attack mastermind kills policeman during Karachi raid

A student of applied physics at Pakistan's Karachi University, believed to be the mastermind of a failed attack on a Sindh lawmaker, killed one policeman and injured another before fleeing during a police raid here.
Abdul Karim Siddiqui is believed to be the mastermind of an assassination attempt on opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, Khawaja Izharul Hasan, on Saturday in Karachi.
Siddiqui managed to escape from the scene after the failed attack on lawmaker but his associate was killed in the shootout that also left a police guard and a teenager dead.
Karachi police yesterday raided a house in the congested Gulzar-e-Hijri area but failed to nab Siddiqui, who managed to escape after opening fire on the policemen, killing one of them and injuring another.

Siddiqui is a student of applied physics at the Karachi University.
"In the shootout Karim was wounded but managed to get away in the cover of darkness as it's a congested residential colony with narrow lanes and several exit points," SSP Malir Rao Anwar told the media.

"Karim is affiliated with the Ansar-ul-Sharia Pakistan militant outfit and is a dangerous militant who holds a commander rank," Anwar said.
The Ansar-ul-Sharia Pakistan has been blamed for majority of target killings of policemen and security officials in the last few months in Karachi.
"We are conducting raids across the city to nab the militant since the attack on Khawaja Izharul Hasan," he said.

Police have reportedly taken Siddiqui's father, Sajjad, into their custody. They have also arrested Ansarul Sharia Karachi chapter's spokesperson from the Defence area.
Meanwhile, Anwar claimed that policemen killed four militants of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Swat last night in Karachi.
"After the police encounter, four terrorists were found dead, including Tehreek-i-Taliban Swat leader Maulvi Fazlullah's cousin, Commander Khursheed who was involved in the killing of Army officials, the attack on Malala Yousafzai and a bomb attack on the Quaidabad police," he claimed.