QUETTA/KARACHI:
The Balochistan Assembly unanimously passed a resolution condemning the killing of lawmaker Nawabzada Bakhtiar Khan Domki’s wife and daughter and demanded the provincial government to approach its Sindh counterpart to unearth the culprits behind the killings.
Meanwhile, the Clifton police in Karachi – on behalf of the state – have registered an FIR under Section 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act against unidentified persons in the case.
A complete shutter-down was observed in Sibi, Shoran, Dhaddar, Mach Dera Allahyar, Usta Mohammad, Bakhtiarabad, Lehri, Sohbatpur, Nasirabad and Ghandawa to protest against the killings of the granddaughter and great granddaughter of Nawab Akbar Bugti.
In what appears to be a politically-motivated act of terrorism, the wife, daughter and a driver of the sitting MPA from Balochistan were gunned down in the wee hours on Tuesday morning near the Gizri Bridge in Clifton. But Karachi Additional Inspector General (IG) Akhtar Hussain Gorchani said the killings appeared to be the result of “family/personal enmity”.
The victims were travelling in their black Toyota Mark II car (ANR-353) when the killers reportedly intercepted them and shot them dead at point-blank range.
Some family sources told The Express Tribune that the victims were in Karachi to attend a wedding ceremony of a relative and were on their way home when the incident occurred.
“They were here to attend the marriage of Nisar Khuhro’s daughter and were staying at the residence of their maternal uncle since the last three days,” said a relative. “Today (Tuesday) they were returning from the valima ceremony at the Carlton Hotel when they were targeted,” it was disclosed.
They were laid to rest in their ancestral town in Lehri near Sibi.
Balochistan Assembly
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) provincial chief Sardar Sanaullah Zehri took the floor on a point of order and said: “The Sindh government must properly investigate the murders instead of terming this incident a targeted killing or tribal feud.”
Lawmakers – including Sheikh Jaffar Mandokhel of the PML-Q, Maulvi Sarwar Musa Khel, Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, Mir Shahnwaz Marri, Abdul Khaliq Bashar Dost, Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd and others – strongly condemned the killings and raised voices against the Sindh government for its failure to protect lives of innocent people.
“Earlier provincial minister Rustam Jamali was shot dead in Karachi and authorities failed to book the culprits. Sindh government must reveal why people of Balochistan are being ruthlessly killed in Karachi,” demanded provincial minister Abdul Khaliq Bashardost.
Tabling a resolution, the Balochistan Assembly demanded the provincial government to approach the Sindh government for proper investigation.
“We want police to conduct a proper investigation into these murders,” Speaker Aslam Bhootani told reporters.
Investigations
The police remained in the dark about the identity of the culprits and neither confirmed nor denied the presence of a fourth occupant in the car — reportedly a maid, who, according to witnesses, was spared by the killers.
District South DIG Commandant Shaukat Ali Shah told The Express Tribune that the police investigation was still in progress.
DIG Shah, however, said that incident seemed to be a case of personal enmity and the killers were well-trained who fired at least 20 to 25 times.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2012.
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