Target killings: ANP district president and two MQM workers shot dead

Kala Guddu and Habib Khan were killed near Islam Chowk a few hours after Saeed Khan.

KARACHI: The authorities went on high alert in Orangi Town and SITE after three political workers were shot dead on Thursday night.

The Awami National Party’s district west president Saeed Ahmed Khan was killed while another ANP worker was injured when four men broke into Khan’s house in Metroville IV. One of the suspects was killed in the exchange of fire between Khan’s security guards and the other men. The identity of the suspect was not disclosed.

In an unrelated incident, two political workers from the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) identified as Maqsood alias Kala Guddu and Habib Khan were also killed near Islam Chowk, said the Iqbal Market police. They claim that there was no link between the murders. The police officials said that that these attacks were not linked to the demand for a separate province in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

According to District West SSP Asif Ejaz Sheikh, the investigation was still being carried out and nothing could be said till it was finalised. He said that they were sure both attacks were incidents of target killings but could not ascertain the motive behind them.

Saeed Khan’s body was taken to Swat for the burial while the funeral prayers for the MQM workers were offered at Islam Chowk. The funeral was attended by MPA Manzar Imam and Saifuddin Khalid. Habib Khan used to work with the City District Government Karachi while Maqsood was in the printing business. Both men were associated with MQM’s unit 124.

SITE Town SP Shah Jahan said that the body of the alleged attacker was kept at a morgue in Sohrab Goth and they were trying to identify him as it would help solve the case. He added one of the motives behind the incident might be personal enmity.

No case was registered when this report was filed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2012.