Lyari lane turns bloody after families clash

Children’s spat results in deaths of fathers, injuries to five relatives

KARACHI: The densely populated lane Gulab and Jawed live in is so narrow that only one person can pass through it at a time. The congestion was already a bone of contention for residents and facing it every day verged on intolerable for them.

On Friday, after his children fought with those of a neighbour, a day after their wives had a spat, Head Constable Gulab Khan lost his temper. He was asleep when he heard the commotion, which immediately roused him from his much-needed slumber. Enraged at the disturbance, he began to mumble to himself, grabbed his pistol, donned a shirt and strode outside. He fired shots at the children’s father and his neighbour, Jawed Khan, leaving him in a pool of blood.

Jawed's family members and relatives watched the scene unfold and started beating Gulab with batons and rods in retaliation. Gulab's relatives then jumped into the melee. As both sides thrashed each other with their makeshift weapons and own hands, Jawed succumbed to his wounds.

This enraged his relatives further and, in an act of revenge, one relative pulled out a pistol and shot Gulab.



A children’s fight in Gulistan Colony in Lyari turned into a bloodbath, leading to the deaths of two men and injury to five others.

Karachi has witnessed of number of similar incidents in the past in which several people have lost their lives after elders jumped into a children’s fight. Gulab and Jawed both resided in Lane 1 of Gulistan Colony, located on Mirza Adam Khan Road in Lyari. Both men and their families had frequent disputes over various issues, including their children’s playing area and loitering on the streets.

The murdered head constable left behind a wife and four children to mourn his death. He was posted to the Civil Lines police station. Jawed had one child and owned a rickshaw spare part shop in the same area.

“Living in the same vicinity for decades, clashes between both the families were a routine matter but no one knew that their children’s fight would end in their fathers’ deaths,” explained Hussain Jan, a resident of the area.



In Friday’s clash, five more people were also wounded, as both the groups used batons, sticks and guns. Police have also arrested three companions each from both sides. One of them is Gulab’s younger brother who was also shot multiple times and admitted to the intensive care unit at Civil Hospital, Karachi with critical injuries. Gulab’s brother Aslam Pervez, Jawed’s brother Waqar Shah, his cousin Asif and friend Mohammad Yousuf are amongst the injured.

The police have vowed to arrest the injured persons as well. “We will also arrest the injured people due to their involvement in the case after they are released from hospital,” explained an inquiry officer of the Chakiwara police station, Asif Kayani.

The clash erupted at 9:30am on Friday morning with a heated exchange, after which a fight broke out. Seeing them fighting, their brothers and relatives also got involved.

A large number of Rangers and police personnel reached the scene and, after taking control of the situation, immediately shifted the dead and injured to Civil Hospital, Karachi. According to Chakiwara DSP Qamar Ahmed, eight bullets of 30 bore and 9mm pistols were also recovered from the crime scene. Gulab was laid to rest at the Mochko graveyard while the funeral prayers of Jawed will be offered today (Saturday). Officials said that the counter FIRs would be registered on Saturday by their families.