Chaudhry Aslam Khan

Chaudhry Aslam Khan (سواتی چودھری اسلم) was a superintendent (SP) in the Sindh Police department in Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Chaudhry Aslam joined the Sindh Police force in 1987 as a ASI (Assistant Sub Inspector). Chaudhry served as SHO (Station House Officer) in several police stations across Karachi and a bit in Balochistan due to provincial allocation. Chaudhry Aslam gained immense fame after working as an encounter specialist in the 1992-1994 & 1996-1997, Karachi operation.His team consisted of the most prolific,determined and daring police officers like SHO Rao Anwaar Ali Khan, Taufeeq Zahid and the list goes on. Chaudhry was suspended and came back to service in 2004 & was given the task to eradicate the well-known target killers like Shoaib Khan. Later on he was ordered to lead the LTF (Lyari Task Force) and end the issue of gangwar in Lyari Town. From 2005-2014 Chaudhry Aslam arrested countless terrorist, gangwar-criminals, target killers & extortionists belonging to TTP, BLA, MQM, ANP, TMP, LJ, LT, SSP and the list goes on. Chaudhry Aslam Khan embraced martyrdom in a terrorist attack by the TTP on 9th January 2014 on the Lyari Expressway. This was the fifth and the last attack on the super cop. Later on the TTP commander Shahid ul-llah Shahid accepted the responsibility of killing Chaudhry Aslam because he was an alarming menace for them.

Personal life
Muhammad Aslam Khan originally hailed from the village of Dhodial in the Mansehra District of the Hazara region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The name "Chaudhry" was added in front of his name due to his role in the Karachi operation. He even headed the 2005 Lyari task force and moreover the anti-extremist cell of CID and received hefty amounts of head money of over 10 crore rupees. Chaudhry Aslam arrested and terminated well-known and hardened criminals like Rehman dakait, Shoaib khan,Saulat Mirza,TTP commanders and several other menacing terrorists belonging to particular banned outfits and political parties.

Career
He started his career as an assistant sub-inspector in 1984. Prior to that, he had served as a Station House Officer (SHO) at a number of police stations across Karachi.

Lyari area in Karachi was a battleground between two rival groups becoming a no-go zone for law enforcement agencies. Aslam's breakthrough in the restive area secured him the position of leading the Lyari Task Force (LTF). Along with his team, including DSP Irfan Bahadur, Aslam launched an operation against gangsters in Lyari. In various 'shootouts', the team killed many gangsters holding Lyari hostage. He was held in deep regard by the police force and the general public of Pakistan.

In May 2005, LTF raided a bungalow belonging to gangster Rehman Dakait in Balochistan's Hub area, which sparked a four-hour shootout leading to death of a police officer, a civilian and two suspected members of Dakait's gang.

In 2010, Aslam was appointed as head of the Investigation Wing in the Criminal Investigation Department.

Aslam won himself a reputation for his performance in the 2012 'Lyari grand operation' which once again aimed at clearing the area of criminals.

2011 attack by Taliban
In 2011, he escaped unhurt from a Taliban attack on his house situated in the Defence Phase VIII area of Karachi. The attack 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 organisation's fighters. 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.

Death
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. 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.

Reaction on Death
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif praised SP 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. Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement of the 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. 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.