2 pushers, posing as journalists, shot dead

Lasi and Khaskheli ran “Difa” as a cover for drug-dealing and smuggling

KARACHI: Two drug dealers were shot dead by members of a rival group in Chanesar Goth within the limits of the Mehmoodabad police station on Monday. Aziz Lasi and Murtaza Khaskheli ran a newspaper called “Difa” as a cover for their illegal activities, police officials revealed.

At around 8.45 am on Monday morning, six men on three motorcycles opened fire at Lasi and Khaskheli near Kala Pul. The two men were on their way to the city courts on a motorcycle when they were attacked. They were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where sources revealed that Lasi had received six bullet wounds while Khaskheli was killed by a single shot fired by a 9-millimetre pistol in the upper torso.

The bodies were later taken to their respective houses in Chanesar Goth, where people protested against the murders by resorting to aerial firing and forcefully closing businesses. Lasi’s body is to be taken to the Darsano Chano village for burial. “Lasi was the chief partner while his friend was the chief editor of ‘Difa’,” Mehmoodabad SHO Ghulam Nabi Afridi revealed.

Lasi had started the newspaper seven years ago as a cover for his illegal activities, SHO Afridi said, adding that there were four cases registered against Lasi and his accomplices, all of whom had also been killed. Around one year ago, Lasi’s brother, Yousuf, had been shot dead by members of a rival smugglers’ group.

“Firing in Chanesar Goth is a routine matter because Lasi is an enemy of other smugglers Shok, Imi and Lala Farooq, who also live in the area,” said SHO Afridi, who added that 31 cases of robbery, kidnapping and drug peddling have been registered in Mehmoodabad and its surrounding areas.

“Smugglers in the area often target each other’s people. You can see bullet marks on most of the walls. They have demarcated their own areas where young men with automatic guns can be seen roaming around,” sources revealed.

Drug wars in Chanesar Goth

Lasi’s parents migrated to Chanesar Goth in the early 60s. He started selling hashish in the area and gradually became a prominent dealer who supplied drugs to other parts of the city too. He also set up gambling dens in the area and later joined the Pakistan People’s Party. He left the PPP, however, when he got into a feud with other drug pushers from Chanesar Goth, namely Shukat (Shok) and Imran (Imi), who also belonged to the PPP.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2010.