Two ASWJ workers shot dead

KARACHI: At least two workers of a politico-religious organisation were shot dead in an act of targeted killing while another was wounded in North Karachi on the third day of Eidul Azha.

The incident took place when at least two armed men riding a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire at the victims while they were riding a motorcycle near UP Morr in North Karachi within the limits of the New Karachi police station. The victims were critically wounded. Following the incident, volunteers from different welfare organisations immediately reached the scene and shifted the victims to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where doctors pronounced two of them dead. The third victim is under treatment.



The deceased were later identified as 38-year-old Muhammad Saleem and 40-year-old Muhammad Arshad and the injured as Azam Shabbir, 25. The police said the deceased were friends and residents of Khawaja Ajmair Nagri, adding that the victims hailed from Bhawalpur. The police denied affiliation with any political or religious organisation.

Meanwhile, the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat spokesperson claimed the deceased and injured belonged to the Khawaja Ajmair Nagri unit of the party, adding that the armed assailants targeted them when the victims were on their way home after offering Friday prayers at the Jama Masjid Siddiq-e-Akbar at Nagan Chowrangi.

Police officials said they collected at least nine empty shells of 9mm pistols from the crime scene, which have been to the forensic division of the Sindh police for ballistics cross-matching.

A case was registered while further investigation is under way.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2018.