Extortion mafia: Imambargah’s caretaker shot dead

Two others injured in targeted firing outside Rabia City.

KARACHI:

The caretaker of an Imambargah was killed and two others were injured when six armed motorcyclists opened fire on them while they were sitting outside Rabia City - the biggest housing complex in Gulistan-e-Jauhar- which unfortunately has been facing a detoriorating law and order situation for a decade now.

The armed men, who belonged to a political party, sprayed the three men - Ovais, 22, Tabish, 24, and Saleem, 22 - with bullets in the Shahrae Faisal police limits on Thursday.

The injured were taken to a private hospital, where Ovais succumbed to his wounds.

DSP Zulfiqar Pathan said the deceased was the caretaker of an Imambargah. The culprits carried out the attack to establish their writ in Rabia City - a lucrative area for extortion, added Pathan.

Afterwards, the police raided a unit office of the Awami National Party (ANP) in Pehlwan Goth, however, no arrests were made.

Earlier, DSP Pathan said that the apartments were under the control of a wanted criminal Liaquat Bangash, and now his accomplices wanted to create panic. They have also occupied some vacant flats, he added.

After hearing the news of Ovais’s death, residents staged a protest and opened aerial fire. They also pulled down shutters of shops to close businesses. Several makeshift stalls were set ablaze. A road was blocked for several hours, and when the law enforcers tried to disperse the crowd, they attacked police vehicles.

“When the culprits attacked, a police mobile deployed near Rabia City moved away,” claimed a resident. To search for criminals, the law enforcers have cordoned off the area. “Now, they are just bothering the common people instead of arresting the criminals, who are well known,” he lamented.

Police arrested some suspects and seized arms and ammunition during a search operation in Rabia City. The sit-in in front of the apartments was going on till the filing this story.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2013.