MQM worker among four killed in the city

Three suspects also gunned down in police encounter.

KARACHI:

The body of a Saylani Welfare Trust (SWT) volunteer identified as 36-year-old Mujahid was found in the Gauharabad area, said the PIB Colony police.

They claimed that Mujahid, a resident of Liaquatabad, was kidnapped and killed by unidentified suspects. His body was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). According to ASI Rana Ajmal, Mujahid was first beaten up and then shot in the chest. He added that Mujahid was killed on the suspicion of being a police informant and that an investigation was underway. However, an SWT official, Sohail Bawani, contradicted the police statement and said that Mujahid was not a victim of target killing but died in a road accident.

In an unrelated incident, the body of an unidentified young man was found from a nullah in Gulzar Colony in the limits of Korangi Industrial Area. According to the police, the body was found in a gunny bag with the hands and legs bound together. They added that the deceased was tortured to death after being kidnapping but no bullet wounds were found on the body. The body was taken to JPMC.

Tension gripped the old city area after an activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement was shot dead in Shoe Market.

Aslam Jan, 31, was gunned down outside his home within the Garden police limits. The police said that two armed attackers on a motorcycle sprayed the victim with bullets, killing him on the spot.

The body of a young man, identified as Omar Qayyum, was found in the Metroville area. The Site A-Section police said that Qayyum worked at a factory and was stabbed to death. The police have detained about half a dozen of his colleagues for questioning.

Arrests

Law Enforcement Agencies detained about half a dozen suspects during targeted raids in Daud Goth and Yousuf Goth in the Saeedabad area of Baldia Town. According to police sources, the raids were conducted on a tip-off from Rangers about the presence of Lyari gangsters and suspected members of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army. They added that during the raids about half a dozen suspects, including Ejaz, Usman, Mir Aslam and Siraj were taken into custody and were shifted to an undisclosed location for further questioning. Ten hand grenades, four Kalashnikovs, three repeater shotguns and three pistols were also found in their possession. Ranger officials neither confirmed nor denied the news when contacted.

Three suspects killed in police encounter

An encounter with the police left three suspects dead in Ali Mohammad Brohi Goth, Quaidabad, on Tuesday. The bodies of Faisal Siddiqui, Zareef Khan and Omar were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

The police seized an 8mm rifle, a TT pistol and a repeater shotgun from them. The police claimed that the men were wanted in several murder and robbery cases.

According to Malir SSP Rao Anwar, the police first raided their hideout in Quaidabad and asked them to surrender but the suspects refused and opened fire at them.

Khan, Siddiqui and Omar were killed in the cross fire. The SSP added that one of their accomplices managed to escape.

SHO Amanullah Marwat said that the suspects were planning a robbery when the police raided their hideout.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2012.