KARACHI, Sept 11: A former lawmaker belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was arrested for his alleged involvement in the Tuesday killing of two policemen in a North Nazimabad locality, officials said on Wednesday.

“Nadeem Hashmi was arrested in a raid on his house in North Nazimabad and booked under the anti-terror law, killing of two policemen and snatching their official rifles,” said SSP-Central Amir Farooqi.

The raid was carried out by the police on the house of the former lawmaker, who was booked in a case (FIR 181/13) under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 at the Hyderi Market police station.

The FIR was lodged on behalf of the state.

The SSP said that he was kept at the Pirabad police station instead of the Hyderi Market police station due to security concerns.

Nadeem Hidayat Hashmi, 49, was elected an MPA in the 2008 general election from a provincial assembly seat (PS-103) in North Nazimabad. He lived in North Nazimabad’s Block H, according to the Sindh Assembly website.

The SSP-Central said that so far the police had found no previous criminal record of the ex-lawmaker.

The police said that the Tuesday night killing of two policemen, a man and his son and a trustee of an Imambargah in the Nazimabad and North Nazimabad areas within a short span of one hour showed the involvement of an organised group.

They said that the police carried out pre-dawn raids on sector and unit offices of the MQM and on the residence of former MPA Hashmi in North Nazimabad.

The police claimed that three rifles and 200 bullets were seized in the raid on the MQM sector office.