Party worker’s killing: PTI questions effectiveness of Karachi operation

24-year-old worker succumbs to his injuries after fighting for his life for three days

KARACHI: After the targeted killing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker Fazal Raheem Hasanzai, the party has raised questions over the effectiveness of the Karachi operation.

Fazal, 24, was shot in the head near Nursery on Sharae Faisal, when he was returning from Insaf House after attending a party workers' convention on December 26.

After battling for his life in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for three days, Fazal succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, senior party leader Haleem Adil Sheikh said it is clear that the Karachi operation has no direction and has been politicised after the removal of Sindh IG Allah Dino Khawaja. He claimed that the police tried to change the angle of the case from targeted killing to a robbery incident. Sheikh added that the party pressurised the police to register an FIR against unknown suspects and to include a section of Anti-Terrorism Act in the case.

According to Sheikh, the party has contacted many high officials to investigate the targeted killing, however, the police department is delaying solving this case. "We will wait for three more days and after that the party will protest outside the office of Karachi's additional IG," he warned.

Responding to a question about the reasons behind the targeted killing of their worker, Sheikh said he believes that it is because party chairperson Imran Khan is arriving in the city for two days.

"There are people who do not want the workers of PTI to mobilise and come out of their homes for Imran Khan," he said, adding that such acts will not deter their workers.

Speaking about the night when Fazal was shot, his father Abdul Raheem Hasanzai said that Fazal had to go somewhere, which is why he left the convention early. His father claimed that Fazal was a peaceful worker of the party and had not received any threats.

"All we want is justice but it has been three days and the police have yet to arrest the criminals behind my son's killing," he said. Abdul, who is a senior party member since 1996, added that he would sacrifice his nine other children for the party and Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, Tipu Sultan police station SHO Raja Tanveer denied the allegations against the police of not giving priority to the case. He said that the police are trying their best to trace the culprits behind the killing.

The SHO added that the police are checking the closed-circuit television cameras in the area and soon they will catch the suspects. An FIR was registered under Section 302 (pre mediated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act on the complaint of the deceased's father.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2016.