Arrests and killings: College principal and four others gunned down

Six suspects, including three extortionists arrested.

KARACHI: On Tuesday, the vice principal of Jinnah Polytechnic Institute and four other men were shot dead.

The Nazimabad police claim that 55-year-old Imran Zaidi was on his way home from Jinnah Polytechnic Institute (JPI) in his red Suzuki Mehran when unidentified men opened fire at him near the Matric Board Office. According to an eyewitness, the principal was attacked by two men on a motorcycle. The witness claimed that Zaidi kept on driving despite the avalanche of bullets and rammed his car into a pole. The suspects managed to escape before the police got there. The Rangers took the body to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. SHO Sajid Javed suspects that it was a sectarian killing. He said that Zaidi was shot at four times and the suspects had used a 9mm pistol. As the news of his death spread in the city, tension gripped Rizvia Society, Old Golimar, Abbas Town, Ancholi, Jaffar Tayyar, Malir and Rafa-e-Aam Society.

Zaidi has been associated with the JPI for over 25 years, and took charge as vice principal in 1997. He lived in North Karachi and leaves behind two children. Ansar Rizvi, the head of the civil engineering department at the college, told The Express Tribune that Zaidi did not have any personal enmities and had not received any death threats. He said that Zaidi used to teach at different private universities and had received a gold medal from the Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education. “We left work within five minutes of each other,” he said. “I heard about the incident a few minutes later.”

Jafferia Alliance Pakistan leader Allama Abbas Kumaili said that the government and the police had failed to put a stop to sectarian violence and the numbers were escalating fast. He added that in this year alone, around 22 Shia men, including lawyers, were gunned down.

A bus driver identified as 36-year-old Sher Mohammad alias Sheru was gunned down and Safdar was injured near a wedding hall in Korangi no. 4, said the Zaman Town police.

Ghulam Rasool, 54, was shot dead in Korangi sector 35 on Wednesday, said Awami Colony police. SHO Javed Brohi believes that it was a targeted attack.

A man identified as Ziarat Gul was killed near Sohrab Goth, said the Sacchal police. He lived in Gulshan-e-Maymar and leaves behind four children. SHO Azhar Ali Iqbal said that the family believed he was killed over personal enmity. Raja Alauddin was gunned down, while Akram, Sagheer, Mohammad Latif and 51-year-old Rubina were injured when unidentified men opened fire at them at a bus stop near Capri Cinema.

Busted

The Mobina Town police claimed to have arrested two alleged extortionists identified as Enayat and Imran. Another alleged extortionist identified as Yasin alias Raju was arrested near Timber Market by the Napier police. They seized a TT pistol from him.

The Special Investigation Unit arrested four suspects for killing three people and injuring another. SSP Shahjahan Khan said that the arrests were made during separate raids in Eidgah and Kalri.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2012.