Jeweller killed by robbers laid to rest

Outrage mounts as traders shut down Sarafa Market

KARACHI:

A 24-year-old man shot dead during a robbery at a jewellery shop in Korangi on Tuesday was laid to rest on Wednesday. The victim, Abdul Mateen Muqeem, was buried at the Chakragoth graveyard in Korangi No1.

The funeral prayers were held on the main road outside the Sarafa Market in Korangi No 2, where the shooting took place. The funeral was attended by the victim's family, relatives, traders from the Sarafa Market Association, local shopkeepers, and Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Amir Monem Zafar. Traffic on Korangi Road came to a standstill during the funeral, resulting in long queues and severe congestion.

A sombre atmosphere gripped the market as traders observed a shutdown in protest. Abdul Mateen's father was seen inconsolable at the burial site, surrounded by crying relatives and neighbours.

Meanwhile, police have registered an FIR on the complaint of the victim's uncle, Muhammad Ayub Qureshi, against unidentified suspects. Two armed assailants entered the jewellery shop and attempted to rob it. When Abdul Mateen resisted, he was shot, according to the FIR.

Another shop looted

Robbers struck again on Wednesday - just as the funeral prayer of Mateen was being held nearby. This time, they looted Bismillah Jewellers near Bhittai Colony Ground in broad daylight, making off with gold worth Rs eight to nine million. CCTV footage shows three robbers entering the shop; one dressed in shalwar kameez, stood guard outside, while the other two, wearing caps and western clothes, held the jeweller at gunpoint and emptied the showcases before fleeing on two waiting bikes.