Three killed in shoot-out outside Ismaili Jamaat Khana

KARACHI: In another spate of killings, three men were gunned down in the neighbourhood of the Memon Jamaat Khana, Ayesha Manzil on Friday.

Junaid Memon, 55, his 26-year-old son Kamran Memon and their relative Hanif Memon alias Hanif Mota were shot down when they were going home in their Toyotta Corolla car. Two men on motorcycles fired indiscriminately at them when their car was stationary in the narrow street.

After the incident, the police and scores of people, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement activists, gathered around the area and helped take the victims to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where they all died during treatment.

Junaid Memon was the father of four sons and a daughter, including Kamran who had been running a jewellery business in the Karimabad gold market. Hanif Memon, according to the police, was associated with gambling dens.

Police officials investigating the issue could not sort out who actually was the target of the killers and what was the reason behind the incident. “The case is in its initial stages and we still need to find out the basic facts about the motorcyclists,” said a police official. “No one in the area is ready to talk to police about the incident,” he added.

After almost one hour, the police left the area, leaving the Ismaili Jamaat Khana and its surrounding areas unguarded.

Members of the Ismaili Security Committee tightened security around the Jamaat Khana after the firing. Imran, a member of the community, told The Express Tribune that though the people sitting inside were scared when they heard the firing, there was no panic.

According to the police, they have beefed up security around places of worship for minorities and different sects. However, people were talking about the absence of police personnel on Friday, when many Ismailis visit the Jamaat Khana.

One member of the security community, requesting anonymity, said that members took their own security measures and ensured foolproof arrangements without the support of the police. Irfan, who is in charge of security in front of the Jamaat Khana, refused to give any comments. “They are secret and we do not disclose our security arrangements to anybody”.

This is the second major shoot-out in Azizabad. On May 29, Yousuf Dada, a senior activist of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) student wing, accompanied by another worker Irfan Katchi, was shot dead in a target killing in Hussainabad No 2 by unidentified motorcyclists.

The residents of the area are not ready to talk about the murders.

However, they are accusing the police of giving protection to the perpetrators.

When contacted, the CCPO Karachi declined to comment on the issue.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2010.