Mystery killings: Three brothers and two friends die in five days
Woman injured as she goes to morgue to collect the bodies of her sons.
KARACHI:
Rukhsana and her mother were on their way to the Edhi morgue to collect her brothers bodies when unidentified men shot at them in Ancholi on Friday, said the Samanabad police. They added that three people were killed while two others were injured.
Her brothers, Islam, Saeed and Mujeeb Baloch were gunned down within days of each other. When Islam was gunned down in Saeedabad on May 13, his brothers had to come from Panjgur, a town near the Pakistan-Iran border, to register an FIR and take their brother’s body home. Unfortunately, they were shot dead on May 16 as they made their way home from the morgue. A day later, 50-year-old Zulekha and Rukhsana, who lived in Baldia Town, decided to go to the morgue to bring the bodies home. They were accompanied by Islam’s friend Basit and two other men who were shot dead while Zulekha and an ambulance driver were injured.
So far the police were unable to determine the motive behind the murder. They claim that the family is not cooperative and speak in a language they do not understand.
Baldia Town SP Qamar Zaman told The Express Tribune that they would have done something but the killings just keep happening so quickly. “As soon as we start investigating one case, another family member dies,” he said. “After Islam was killed, his brother came to collect his body and then they were killed. When their family and friends went to get their bodies, they were killed and injured too. It’s just too much.”
The police suspect that Zulekha and her family had recently moved to Baldia Town from Lyari because Islam had eloped with a girl. They believe that Islam could have been targeted because he had connections with Lyari gangsters.
“We are going to investigate the gang war aspect of this case first,” said SP Zaman. “Although we suspect that it might be because of Islam’s court marriage. We don’t know who he got married too, or where they were living. It could also be a tribal clash.”
Around 20 empty bullet shells were found at the crime scene. Samanabad DSP Rehmatullah said that Rukhsana was not cooperating with the police but it was understandable since all the men of her family had died. He added that it was very difficult to communicate with her as she did not speak Urdu, Balochi or Persian but some other language.
According to an eye-witness, five to six men on a motorcycle and in a car were following Zulekha and the ambulance. “As soon as they got out of the car and ambulance, these men opened fire at them,” said Abdul Hafeez, a shopkeeper. “The mother was injured while three men died. I think the sister was safe because she did not step out of the vehicle.”
Basit’s brother said that it was important for the women to be accompanied by a man so his brother asked his friend Shoaib to come along. “They had booked an ambulance and maybe they were being followed from the beginning,” said Abdul Malik. “The police knew they were unsafe. They should have provided them with proper security.”
Basit was a resident of Kalakot and used to run a hotel in Lea Market. His friend Shoaib also accompanied Zulekha and was killed. He worked as a travel agent.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2012.
Rukhsana and her mother were on their way to the Edhi morgue to collect her brothers bodies when unidentified men shot at them in Ancholi on Friday, said the Samanabad police. They added that three people were killed while two others were injured.
Her brothers, Islam, Saeed and Mujeeb Baloch were gunned down within days of each other. When Islam was gunned down in Saeedabad on May 13, his brothers had to come from Panjgur, a town near the Pakistan-Iran border, to register an FIR and take their brother’s body home. Unfortunately, they were shot dead on May 16 as they made their way home from the morgue. A day later, 50-year-old Zulekha and Rukhsana, who lived in Baldia Town, decided to go to the morgue to bring the bodies home. They were accompanied by Islam’s friend Basit and two other men who were shot dead while Zulekha and an ambulance driver were injured.
So far the police were unable to determine the motive behind the murder. They claim that the family is not cooperative and speak in a language they do not understand.
Baldia Town SP Qamar Zaman told The Express Tribune that they would have done something but the killings just keep happening so quickly. “As soon as we start investigating one case, another family member dies,” he said. “After Islam was killed, his brother came to collect his body and then they were killed. When their family and friends went to get their bodies, they were killed and injured too. It’s just too much.”
The police suspect that Zulekha and her family had recently moved to Baldia Town from Lyari because Islam had eloped with a girl. They believe that Islam could have been targeted because he had connections with Lyari gangsters.
“We are going to investigate the gang war aspect of this case first,” said SP Zaman. “Although we suspect that it might be because of Islam’s court marriage. We don’t know who he got married too, or where they were living. It could also be a tribal clash.”
Around 20 empty bullet shells were found at the crime scene. Samanabad DSP Rehmatullah said that Rukhsana was not cooperating with the police but it was understandable since all the men of her family had died. He added that it was very difficult to communicate with her as she did not speak Urdu, Balochi or Persian but some other language.
According to an eye-witness, five to six men on a motorcycle and in a car were following Zulekha and the ambulance. “As soon as they got out of the car and ambulance, these men opened fire at them,” said Abdul Hafeez, a shopkeeper. “The mother was injured while three men died. I think the sister was safe because she did not step out of the vehicle.”
Basit’s brother said that it was important for the women to be accompanied by a man so his brother asked his friend Shoaib to come along. “They had booked an ambulance and maybe they were being followed from the beginning,” said Abdul Malik. “The police knew they were unsafe. They should have provided them with proper security.”
Basit was a resident of Kalakot and used to run a hotel in Lea Market. His friend Shoaib also accompanied Zulekha and was killed. He worked as a travel agent.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2012.