By Moin ullah Shah
KARACHI: The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the CIA in Karachi carried out a major operation on 17 May 2026 and arrested a key member of the notorious Sultan Shah gang in an injured condition after an encounter.
Acting on intelligence, the SIU/CIA team raided the Causeway on Shahrah Bhutto within the jurisdiction of the CIA police station in Korangi district. During the operation, an exchange of fire took place with suspects belonging to the Sultan Shah gang. As a result, a hardened and habitual offender, Altaf Hussain alias Fauji, son of Muhammad Qasim Sheikh, was arrested in an injured state, while two accomplices, Zahid Hussain, son of Somar Khan, and Syed Haider Ali Shah alias Ali Waris, son of Sultan Shah, managed to escape under the cover of darkness.
Police said a 9mm pistol was recovered from the arrested suspect.
According to investigators, the suspect was an active member of the Sultan Shah gang, which had been involved in numerous robberies across Khairpur, Sukkur, Karachi and Jamshoro. The gang targeted individuals withdrawing cash from banks, with a young associate inside banks providing information about potential targets.
Police added that the same gang had previously robbed the father-in-law of former MPA Nawab Khan Wassan in Khairpur. The gang’s leader, Sultan Shah, and his son were killed in an encounter with Sukkur police around a year ago.
Altaf Hussain alias Fauji had multiple cases registered against him, including charges under attempted murder, resistance against law enforcement, possession of illegal arms and other offences in Khairpur and Jamshoro.
Further cases had also been registered against him at the SIU police station, and SIU teams were conducting raids to arrest other members of the gang, a spokesperson for the SSP SIU/CIA said.
