Chaudhry Aslam Khan
Chaudhary Aslam Khan was a Pakistani police officer. From 2005 to 2014 Aslam arrested and killed terrorists, gangwar-criminals, target killers and extortionists belonging to TTP, BLA, TMP, LJ, LeT and SSP. On 9 January 2014, he was killed in a bomb blast carried out by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Chaudhry Aslam Khan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967 |
| Died | January 9, 2014 (aged 46–47) 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
Aslam was born in Dhodial, Mansehra District, Hazara Division into the Tanoli tribe and moved to Karachi along with his father after completing his primary education.[1][2]
Police career
Aslam 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. Aslam worked as an encounter specialist from 1992 to 1994 and 1996 to 1997. Chaudhry was suspended and 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 gangwar in Lyari Town.
In 2010, Aslam was appointed as head of the Investigation Wing in the Criminal Investigation Department.[3]
Aslam won himself a reputation for his performance in the 2012 'Lyari grand operation' which once again aimed at clearing the area of criminals.[4]
2011 attack by Taliban
In 2012, he escaped unhurt from a Taliban attack on his house in the Defence Phase VIII area of Karachi. 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, a defiant Aslam, whose home was half blown away by the blast, 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.[5][4]
Assassination
On 9 January 2014 he 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 Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.[6] 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.[7]
In 2017 Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian national arrested in Balochistan on the 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 Indian intelligence agency Research Analysis Wing on the directions of Anil Dhasmana. The validity of the video however has been criticised by the Indian side, claiming it to be doctored and forced upon Jadhav.[8]
Reactions to his death
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif praised SSP CID 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.[9]
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 Chaudhry Aslam for laying down his life in the line of duty.[10]
Then MQM chief Altaf Hussain also condemned the killing of SSP Chaudhry 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.[9]
2017 death investigation
Investigators 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.[11]
Biopic
In 2019 it was announced that an action movie based on his life will 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 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."[12]
References
- Khan, Nisar Ahmad (10 January 2014). "Ch Aslam does people proud in his hometown". DAWN.COM. 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.
- "Profile: Chaudhry Aslam". Dawn. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- "Profile: For Karachi's mean streets, Chaudhry Aslam is a meaner cop". 19 September 2011.
- "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.
- "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.