Youth campaigning against drug dealers gunned down

Three killed, one injured in late-night attack on dhaba

KARACHI:

KARACHI

A young man who had been campaigning against drug dealers in his neighborhood was gunned down along with two others when unidentified suspects opened indiscriminate fire at a restaurant in Faqira Goth, Super Highway, in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to witnesses, the attackers - riding four motorcycles - sprayed bullets with SMG, 9mm and 30-bore pistols, causing panic and a stampede among those present. The attack left three men dead and one seriously injured. The deceased were identified as 28-year-old Usman alias Daru, son of Balad Khan; 17-year-old Sultan, son of Abdul Hameed; and 22-year-old Sajjad, son of Gul. The injured, 28-year-old Noor Usman, is under treatment.

Police and Rangers reached the scene soon after the incident, while the Crime Scene Unit recovered over 15 bullet casings. The shop's shutter and walls were riddled with bullets.

Relatives and friends of Usman alleged that he had been targeted for raising his voice against narcotics trade in the area. "He was campaigning against drug dealers and had been attacked before," said his friend Younis Mughiri at the hospital. "This is the consequence of speaking up."

Jamil Khan, Usman's relative, said he was called and informed that Usman had been shot. "When I arrived, his body was lying at the restaurant. He used to drive a tractor and was not involved in any criminal activity, as some police officials are now trying to portray," he said.

Locals also accused the police of turning a blind eye to drug gangs operating in the neighborhood and even demanding bribes for the release of innocent detainees. They claimed earlier complaints about threats and previous attacks on Usman had gone unheeded.

Meanwhile, Sultan's uncle Habib told reporters that his nephew had no connection to the dispute and was caught in the gunfire while eating biryani at the restaurant opposite his house. He rejected earlier police statements describing Sultan as Usman's nephew.

The deceased Usman was a father of two children. Residents of Faqira Goth say drug dealers have terrorised the locality for years, and that Usman's killing has once again exposed the impunity with which they operate.

According to the FIR lodged on the complaint of the victim Dawood's uncle, Altaf Abro alias Soba Abro along with five armed men on two motorcycles opened fire at Allah Razi Biryani Centre on August 25, killing Dawood, Sultan and Usman, while another man, Noor Islam, sustained injuries. Dawood, a water pump mechanic, succumbed to bullet wounds at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Following the triple murder, Sohrab Goth division police conducted a late-night search operation in Faqeera Colony and adjoining areas, detaining several suspects for questioning. Police said the motive behind the attack is yet to be ascertained, while the case has been handed over to the investigation wing.