Trader gunned down in 'targeted attack'

A brutal incident of target killing occurred in the Samarzar Colony area of Saddar Beroni Police Station, where armed motorcyclists shot dead prominent businessman and petrol pump owner Sardar Muhammad Irshad in front of his three young daughters as he drove home. The assailants fled immediately after the attack.

Police reached the scene soon after receiving the report, collected evidence and shifted the body to the hospital for post-mortem. CCTV footage of the incident has also surfaced.

According to details, Sardar Muhammad Irshad, a resident of Samarzar Colony on Adiala Road, had gone with his driver to pick up his daughters from school. After collecting them, he was driving the double-cabin vehicle himself, with the driver seated in the front and the daughters in the back seat.

As the vehicle approached the street leading to their home, two armed men on a motorcycle pulled up beside the moving car and opened indiscriminate fire. Irshad sustained at least seven bullet wounds. He was rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Senior police officers inspected the scene and examined the CCTV footage, which clearly shows the attackers firing at the vehicle before fleeing. A senior officer said the incident appears to be targeted and possibly linked to an old enmity, noting that the victim was killed "mercilessly in front of his daughters."

No CTD official arrived at the crime scene immediately, though a CTD team visited several hours later to gather information and begin their inquiry.

Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani took notice of the killing and directed Saddar Saddar Anum Sher to submit a detailed report and ensure the arrest of the perpetrators. SP Anum Sher also visited the hospital, met the bereaved family and assured them of swift action.

According to police, initial investigations indicate that the attackers ambushed the vehicle and opened fire, and that the incident appears to stem from personal enmity. Police have vowed to arrest the culprits and bring them to justice.

Man shot dead in capital

A couple of days ago, unknown assailants opened indiscriminate fire inside Lake View Park, within the jurisdiction of Secretariat Police Station, killing one man on the spot and seriously injuring another. In a separate incident, two people were also critically wounded in a shooting.

The attack inside Lake View Park caused panic among visiting families, women and children. Dozens screamed and ran out of the park. Police reportedly arrived late, allowing the assailants to escape easily.