Two traffic wardens gunned down in Karachi
Police chief suspends official over negligence.
A relative of one of the slain traffic policeman mourns. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
Two traffic policemen were shot dead in a targeted attack in Karachi on Saturday in the first such attack of the year. Six traffic wardens had been gunned down in the metropolis last year.
The latest targeted killings took place in District West’s Federal B Area. The policemen were on duty under the Ayesha Manzil flyover when the attackers struck at 1:57pm, Azizabad police said. Both the victims were shot once in the head.
An eyewitness told The Express Tribune that two young men on a motorcycle, wearing helmets, snuck up to the traffic wardens and shot them in the head before fleeing. “They did not give them any time,” he added.
Police said the victims, identified as Shakeel Ahmed and Muhammad Akram, died within minutes of the attack. The bodies were later shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.
District West DIG Feroz Shah said the police found a single 9mm empty shell from the spot that would be sent to the forensic division to be matched with weapon records. He contradicted the claims of witnesses that the assailants had taken away the official weapons of their victims.
Traffic ADIG Tahir Noorani said usually four traffic policemen were deputed at the site but two of them had gone to a nearby mosque to offer Zuhr prayers when the attackers struck.
The Sindh police chief suspended the Azizabad traffic section officer for deploying the wardens without bulletproof jackets, despite the victims being shot in the heads.
Taking notice of the attack, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal directed the IGP to arrest the attackers as soon as possible.
In a statement, the chief minister said attacks on police, Rangers or any other force were unacceptable. “I know these are last-ditch efforts by terrorists for their survival but we have to be more vigilant and cautious,” he said.
Suspects arrested
Soon after the attack, contingents of the Rangers and police cordoned off an apartment complex near the Water Pump Chowrangi – about two kilometres down the road from the crime scene.
Six suspects were taken into custody for their possible involvement in the attack. Police claimed they were tipped off about the suspects’ presence at the building. The police also seized a computer.
The suspects were said to be the workers and supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. They were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
Previous attacks
In 2015, six traffic wardens were gunned down in separate attacks in different areas of Karachi. Not a single suspect of the killings was ever arrested despite ongoing raids under the Karachi operation continuing since September 2013.
Following the attacks, the Sindh government had issued bulletproof jackets and assault weapons, including submachine guns and MP-5 rifles, to on-duty traffic policemen for self defence.
Since 1992, 54 traffic police officers have embraced martyrdom with 22 of them resulting from road accidents and 32 personnel killed in terror incidents.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2016.
Two traffic policemen were shot dead in a targeted attack in Karachi on Saturday in the first such attack of the year. Six traffic wardens had been gunned down in the metropolis last year.
The latest targeted killings took place in District West’s Federal B Area. The policemen were on duty under the Ayesha Manzil flyover when the attackers struck at 1:57pm, Azizabad police said. Both the victims were shot once in the head.
An eyewitness told The Express Tribune that two young men on a motorcycle, wearing helmets, snuck up to the traffic wardens and shot them in the head before fleeing. “They did not give them any time,” he added.
Police said the victims, identified as Shakeel Ahmed and Muhammad Akram, died within minutes of the attack. The bodies were later shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.
District West DIG Feroz Shah said the police found a single 9mm empty shell from the spot that would be sent to the forensic division to be matched with weapon records. He contradicted the claims of witnesses that the assailants had taken away the official weapons of their victims.
Traffic ADIG Tahir Noorani said usually four traffic policemen were deputed at the site but two of them had gone to a nearby mosque to offer Zuhr prayers when the attackers struck.
The Sindh police chief suspended the Azizabad traffic section officer for deploying the wardens without bulletproof jackets, despite the victims being shot in the heads.
Taking notice of the attack, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal directed the IGP to arrest the attackers as soon as possible.
In a statement, the chief minister said attacks on police, Rangers or any other force were unacceptable. “I know these are last-ditch efforts by terrorists for their survival but we have to be more vigilant and cautious,” he said.
Suspects arrested
Soon after the attack, contingents of the Rangers and police cordoned off an apartment complex near the Water Pump Chowrangi – about two kilometres down the road from the crime scene.
Six suspects were taken into custody for their possible involvement in the attack. Police claimed they were tipped off about the suspects’ presence at the building. The police also seized a computer.
The suspects were said to be the workers and supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. They were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
Previous attacks
In 2015, six traffic wardens were gunned down in separate attacks in different areas of Karachi. Not a single suspect of the killings was ever arrested despite ongoing raids under the Karachi operation continuing since September 2013.
Following the attacks, the Sindh government had issued bulletproof jackets and assault weapons, including submachine guns and MP-5 rifles, to on-duty traffic policemen for self defence.
Since 1992, 54 traffic police officers have embraced martyrdom with 22 of them resulting from road accidents and 32 personnel killed in terror incidents.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2016.