Violence round-up: Police inspector, political worker among six gunned down

Five of the cases were those of targeted killings.

KARACHI: A police inspector and a political activist were among six people shot dead in separate acts of targeted killings in the city on Wednesday.

The Zaman Town police reported that a policeman was shot dead in Korangi. The deceased was identified as sub-inspector Sahib Dino, 50, who was posted to the security zone police. He was waiting for a lift to the Chief Minister House when the incident took place.

“He used to take lifts to get to his duty as he had no transport facility,” said a police inspector, Ahmed Butt. He added that Dino was targeted while he was standing at a sidewalk. “At least two armed men riding a motorcycle targeted him,” said Butt. He was shot at least twice in the head and died on the spot. The body was taken to Jinnah hospital for autopsy.

The deceased hailed from Khairpur and used to live in the Korangi police barracks. A case has yet to be registered. Nevertheless, senior officials in the police have suspended Zaman Town DSP Raja Mushtaq and SHO Asadullah Mangi over the incident.

Separately, an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was gunned down in the limits of the Orangi Town police station. He was sitting at his father’s electronics shop located near Aligarh Bazaar. The deceased was identified as Abdullah aka Meji, 30, son of Haji Rafiq, and associated with MQM Unit 131.

Police officials said that at least four armed men riding two separate motorcycles came to his shop and escaped after shooting him multiple times. He was shot at least five times and died on the spot. The body was taken to Qatar Hospital and later shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for autopsy.

According to Pirabad police, a security officer of a private hospital was killed in Islamia Colony, Orangi Town. The deceased was identified as Muhammad Zahid, 35, son of Mir Hassan. He was a security officer posted at Al-Shifa hospital in MPR Colony. SHO Haq Nawaz said that he was sitting at a soft drink store near the hospital when at least two masked men came on a motorcycle and shot him. Nawaz said that the incident might have occurred over a personal enmity. He added that police are further probing the case.

In another incident, a grocery store owner was shot dead near Gharib Shah Mazaar in Lyari. SSP Sheeraz Nazeer said that Amjad, 35, was sitting at his store when unidentified armed men, apparently members of the Lyari gang, came in the area and resorted to indiscriminate fire. Resultantly, the store owner was killed. The officer said that it has yet to be ascertained whether the victim was their target or killed inadvertently during the indiscriminate fire.

Meanwhile, a dairy store owner was killed as he was sitting at his store located at Nawa Lane in Lyari. Police officials said that the deceased had no link with any party or gangster group. He was identified as Imran, son of Ramzan. SHO Haji Sanaullah said that the deceased hailed from Bahawalpur and had been running his store for the past 12 years.

Body found

The body of a young woman was found from an empty plot in Baldia Town. Ittehad Town police officials said that the woman was strangled to death over unexplained reasons after kidnapping. The kidnappers remain unidentified and are at large. The body was shifted to Edhi morgue, Sohrab Goth, for identification after medico-legal formalities were completed at Civil hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2014.