Driver taken into custody in PTI leader Abdullah Tahir murder case

LAHORE: Lahore police have detained the driver of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Abdullah Tahir in connection with his murder, as investigators broaden the probe into an alleged plot involving a TikToker, facilitators and a professional shooters’ gang.

The driver, identified as Asghar, is the latest person to be taken into custody in connection with the murder case, bringing the total number of suspects detained so far to five, according to police.

Investigators said the driver allegedly provided information about Tahir’s movements to a TikToker, identified by police as Laraib, who allegedly played a key role in helping the attackers execute the murder plot.

According to investigators, Asghar admitted during questioning that he had shared information about Abdullah Tahir’s movements with the TikToker.

Police have seized his mobile phone and are examining call records, messages, video calls and other digital material to determine the extent of communication between the two.

Investigators suspect the information obtained from the driver was subsequently used to track Tahir’s movements and identify an opportunity when he would be relatively vulnerable.

The latest development comes after police had already identified an alleged honey-trapping operation involving the TikToker, who investigators said was tasked with obtaining information about Tahir and, subsequently, his driver.

Earlier investigators said that Laraib had previously been married to the suspected mastermind of the so-called “Shooters’ Gang” accused of carrying out the attack.

According to police, she had separated from the alleged gang leader through khula and later entered into a second marriage.

Investigators said that after separating from her second husband, she re-established contact with the gang leader.

Police alleged that the gang leader initially assigned Laraib the task of establishing contact with Abdullah Tahir himself.

Investigators said that she shared her photographs with the PTI leader in an attempt to establish communication, but Tahir did not respond.

The alleged plan was then changed, with Laraib instructed to target Tahir’s driver instead.

According to investigators, she established contact with Asghar through TikTok around two months before the murder and gradually developed a relationship with him.

Police said that the relationship enabled her to obtain sensitive information about Tahir’s daily routine, movements and security arrangements.

Video call allegedly helped confirm Tahir’s location

Investigators have also been examining a video call allegedly made between Laraib and Asghar around the time of the murder.

Police said that Laraib was on a video call with the driver after Tahir arrived at a clinic where he was subsequently attacked.

According to investigators, the call may have been used to confirm that Tahir was at the location and that he was not accompanied by a security guard.

Once the attackers allegedly received confirmation of his presence, gunmen waiting on Gurumangat Road moved towards the clinic and opened fire on Tahir.

He was killed in the attack.

Investigators are now examining phone records and digital evidence to determine whether the call was deliberately used as part of the murder plan and whether the driver was aware of its alleged purpose.

Police have also detained other suspects accused of carrying out reconnaissance before the murder and arranging the vehicle allegedly used in the operation.

According to police, two women are among the five people currently in custody on suspicion of facilitating the killing.

The suspects are being questioned to establish their individual roles and their links with the alleged planners, financiers and shooters.

However, the alleged principal shooter and two of his associates remain at large. Police said raids and other efforts were under way to arrest the three suspects.

The investigation indicated that the attack may have involved extensive surveillance of Tahir before he was killed.

Police investigators have previously claimed that the attackers used a drone camera and other technological means to monitor Tahir’s movements and assess his security arrangements.

Investigators believe the surveillance, combined with information allegedly obtained through the driver’s contact with Laraib, enabled the attackers to identify a suitable opportunity to target the PTI leader.

Police are examining digital devices and communication records recovered during the investigation to establish how information moved between the alleged facilitators and the shooters.

Murder allegedly ‘contracted’ for over Rs200m

A major finding emerging from the investigation is the alleged amount paid for the killing.

According to police investigators, the ‘contract’ for Abdullah Tahir’s murder was finalised for more than Rs200 million.

The investigators are now attempting to establish who allegedly commissioned and financed the killing, how the money was arranged and whether it was paid directly to the alleged shooters or routed through intermediaries.

The financial aspect of the case is expected to form a key part of the investigation as police attempt to identify the people who allegedly ordered the murder and determine the hierarchy behind the operation.

With five people now in custody, investigators are attempting to piece together what they describe as a coordinated network involving reconnaissance, information gathering, logistical support and the execution of the attack.

The driver’s alleged role in sharing Tahir’s movements is being examined alongside the TikToker’s alleged communications with him.

Police are also investigating the identities and whereabouts of the alleged mastermind, the principal shooter and his two associates who remain at large.

Authorities said that they were also analysing mobile phone data, call records and other digital evidence as they seek to determine the sequence of events leading up to the murder.

Police have yet to publicly disclose the identities of all five detained suspects or establish their roles in the alleged conspiracy through a completed investigation.