Chaudhary Aslam Khan Swati was a Pakistani police officer. From 2005 to 2014 Aslam arrested and killed terrorists, gangwar-criminals, target killers and extortionists belonging to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), TMP, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP).[1][2] On 9 January 2014, he was killed in a bomb blast carried out by the TTP.
Chaudhry Aslam Khan Swati | |
|---|---|
| چوہدری اسلم خان سواتی | |
| Born | 1963 |
| Died | January 9, 2014 (aged 50–51) Lyari Expressway, Karachi, Pakistan |
| Resting place | Gizri graveyard |
| Alma mater | Karachi University |
| Police career | |
| Allegiance |  Sindh Police |
| Service years | 1987 - 2014 |
| Rank | Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) |
| Awards | Pakistan Police Medal Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal Tamgha-e-Imtiaz |
Early life
editAslam was born in 1963 to Advocate Akram Khan Swati in Village Council Arghushal of Union council Dhodial, Mansehra District, Hazara Division and moved to Karachi with his father after completing his primary education. He belonged to the Arghushal clan, a sub-clan of the Swati tribe.[3][4]
Police career
editAslam joined the Sindh Police force in 1984 as an Assistant sub-inspector and served in several police stations across Karachi and in Balochistan due to provincial allocation.[citation needed] Aslam worked as an encounter specialist from 1992 to 1994 and 1996 to 1997.[citation needed] He was suspended then came back to service in 2004 and received the task of eradicating target killers. Later he was ordered to lead the LTF (Lyari Task Force) and end the gang war in Lyari Town.[1]
In 2010, Aslam was appointed as head of the Investigation Wing in the Criminal Investigation Department.[5]
Aslam won himself a reputation for his performance in the 2012 'Lyari grand operation' which once again aimed at clearing the area of criminals.[6]
2011 attack by Taliban
editIn 2012, he escaped unhurt from a Taliban attack on his house in the Defence Phase VIII area of Karachi.[2] The attack, in which a suicide bomber detonated a truck bomb at his front gate, resulted in the death of eight people. TTP claimed responsibility for the attack as retaliation for ongoing efforts against them, including the arrest and killing of many of the terrorist organisation's members. At that time Aslam, whose home was half blown away by the blast, defiantly said he knew he was the target but it would not deter him from fighting against extremists and that he would bury them in the same ground.[1][6]
Assassination
editOn 9 January 2014 Aslam died, along with two other officers, his guard and driver, when a bomb targeted his convoy on the Lyari expressway in Karachi. The Mohmand Agency chapter of the banned TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.[7] Sajjad Mohmand, a spokesman for the militant group, said Aslam was targeted for carrying out operations against the TTP. "Aslam was involved in killing Taliban prisoners in CID cells in Karachi and was on the top of our hit-list," he said.[8]
In 2017 Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian national arrested in Balochistan on allegations of spying and terrorism, confessed in a video released by the Director General of the ISPR that the assassination of Aslam was sponsored by an Indian intelligence agency the Research Analysis Wing, on the directions of Anil Dhasmana. The validity of the video has been criticised by the Indian side, claiming it to be doctored and forced upon Jadhav.[9]
Reactions to his death
editPrime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif praised Chaudhry Aslam and the other officers killed as martyrs and said that such attacks will not deter the law enforcement agencies in their fight against terrorism.[10]
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement made by Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, acknowledging the contributions of police and other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in the fight against terror, and paying tribute to Aslam for laying down his life in the line of duty.[11]
Then Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain also condemned the killing of Aslam and his two colleagues. "SSP Chaudhry Aslam was active in fighting against terrorists who are carrying out subversive activities in Pakistan. He conducted operations against terrorists and criminal elements bravely", Altaf Hussain said.[10]
2017 death investigation
editInvestigators in Karachi who were probing the death of Aslam revealed that his own driver/bodyguard was involved in the murder. The investigation team stated that the driver/bodyguard informed the terrorists of Aslams motorcades movement.[12]
Biopic
editIn 2019 it was announced that an action movie based on his life would be released, Chaudhry - The Martyr, directed by Azeem Sajjad. The movie was finally released in 2022.
Chaudhry's role was played by his cousin Chaudhry Tariq Islam, who hails from the same village, is a Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) himself, and worked with Khan for over thirty years; the director acknowledged he had cast him because he's "well versed with [Khan's] body language, gestures, attitude and reflexes."[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Siddiqui, Salman (19 September 2011). "Profile: For Karachi's mean streets, Chaudhry Aslam is a meaner cop". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ a b Saadat, Suleman; Ahmed, Noman (19 September 2011). "Neighbourhood destroyed: 'We thought living next to a police officer would mean we were safer'". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ Khan, Nisar Ahmad (10 January 2014). "Ch Aslam does people proud in his hometown". Dawn. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ Tribune, Express (11 January 2014). "Local hero: Residents observe strike against Ch Aslam's killing".
- ^ "Who is Chaudhry Aslam?". The News. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- ^ a b "Profile: Chaudhry Aslam". Dawn. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Taliban to haunt Karachi again?". Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ "Taliban bombing kills senior police officer Chaudhry Aslam". Dawn. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Pakistan releases another video, claims he filed mercy petition to Chief of Army Staff". Firstpost. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
- ^ a b "SP CID Chaudhry Aslam martyred in Karachi bombing". The News. 10 January 2014.
- ^ "Army chief condemns terrorist attack on SP CID Ch Aslam". The news. 10 January 2014.
- ^ "Investigation reveals Ch Aslam was betrayed by bodyguard".
- ^ Ozair Majeed (18 April 2019), "HIP Exclusive: Tariq Islam was the Perfect Choice for Chaudhry, says Azeem Sajjad", HIP in Pakistan. Retrieved 19 April 2019.