Zahra Shahid Hussain was a former PTI Sindh women's wing president and a founding member of the PTI.
According to initial details, Zahra Shahid Hussain was shot dead outside her house in Defence Phase IV late on Saturday evening.
The motive of the attack could not be immediately ascertained.
However, SP Clifton Division Nasir Aftab said that initial findings pointed to a case of a purse snatching gone wrong. Aftab told The Express Tribune that per Hussain's daughter, her mother got into their car to leave. The driver wheeled the car out and was locking up the gate when two men on a bike pulled up and tried to snatch her purse. "When she resisted they shot her."
The culprits sped away after the incident.
The police said that they are trying to get the statement of the eye witness and continuing investigations into the incident.
PTI media coordinator Jameel Siddiqui told The Express Tribune that given the situation prevailing in the city, the incident could be a part of those events.
Shortly after the incident, a large number of PTI workers gathered outside the National Medical Centre, where Hussain had been brought for treatment.
Meanwhile, the caretaker chief minister Justice (retd) Zahid Kurban Alvi condemned the attack and has sought a report from IG Sindh.
Condemnations pour in
PTI chief Imran Khan and party spokesperson Shireen Mazari have condemned the brutal killing of their party leader and demanded swift arrest of the culprits.
Mazari has declared the incident as terrorism and failure on part of the provincial government.
Arif Alvi, the PTI candidate in NA-250, has appealed to PTI workers to observer calm.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has also condemned the killing.
She was the central vice president of the party and a member of the party's central executive committee. She was also the former president of the party's Sindh Women's wing. She was one of the founding members of PTI.
Her funeral prayers will be offered after Asr prayers at Sultan Mosque in Karachi.
COMMENTS (72)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
pakistan zindabad. funny that they are shouting against Indians for silly matters while totally ignoring whales in their pool
shame on British government for shadowing a terrorist from so many years and they blame Pakistan for terrorism. please send him back to Pakistan.
Very sad state of affairs, MQM always thinks that the opponents can be silenced by guns. I hope they learn from their mistakes.
Zahra Apa you have already witnessed the Naya Pakistan and inshallah your name will be remembered with all the freedom fighters and he will pay for all the innocent lives. RIP and you will missed every second.
Can a Pakistani citizen openly on TV threaten to break Britain and threaten to kill Britons from Pakistan?? If so what will be the reaction of the British Government???
@K Khan: very typical khan saheb.
@Ash: honestly speaking.analyze post election scenario.who took lead in spreading accusation,hatred and started differentiating classes such as burger and bun kebab.there was away to sort all this accusation.Election commission tribunals and Judiciary.But unfortunately dharna started JI ,champion in this lead from the front.then unfortunately our print media joined in this.if only anchor persons instead of pouring petrol on fire.had avoided this issue instead of running ahead of each other channels in agitating participants by their questions and quarry,this tragedy could have been avoided.LETS TALK OF PAKISTAN,MARCH FORWARD.don't let our country down.
Heartbreaking....these "namaloom afrads" should be brought to justice. If our "independent" judiciary is truly independent it must take swift action NOW!
@Mawra Kamran: U r 101% justified to say. Agreed.
Great lady and life full of contribution for the people and the city she loved. Her life dedicated educating and advising the best and brightest of the city. Her loss is not only for PTI.but for the whole country that we lost such a high caliber leader. If IK has chosen her then you know she was cream of the society. RIP. I know she could leave proudly but she as founding member had laid foundation for a better future for Pakistan after so many years...future looks promising because of her life and her contributions.
The lady was shia so most likely the taliban murdered her as a shia and pti supporter I say we should condem the taliban and terrorists but I know my fellow pti supporters will not.
I think that everyone needs to stand back for a minute, collect their senses and stay calm. Then we evaluate the situation rationally.
very depressing......... :(
@kmk: Taliban or any other organization all terrorists deserve no respect. You cannot be selective about terrorists. I wish PTI and sharifs should have condemned acts of terrorism against PPP, ANP, and MQM. Pleasing Taliban will neer pay Imran.
Taliban good. MQM bad. PTI logic.
@K Khan: Why no condemnation of brutalities of Taliban in Tirah Valley, KPK, the so called 'Naya Pakistan' If you believe MQM to be a terrorist organization, Imran Khan should hold 'talks' with them like he is holding talks with the rest of terrorist jihadi organizations
@Umer: well responded
Another voilent act by the world's most dangrous group "the Namaloom afraad".
a barbaric act. the killers must be found and put to justice! i knew ZSH personally and she was a wonderful person, i cant even think that such a thing could happen to her
@Just Paki:
I thought PTI believed in talking and not in military action? Thousands killed by Taliban but no support of military action by PTI there but one PTI person killed, we don’t for sure who did it, and there is talk of military action?
What kind of person must you have to be to pull a trigger on an elderly lady. Have you no shred of humanity in you left.
Very depressing news! Here is what to expect from the new government: https://vimeo.com/66445537 Will it work on improving the law and order situation?
@K Khan:
How about giving some respect to the thousands killed by Taliban by spitting on Taliban for once?
@Hussain M: Media is not a election cell of PTI, they know their job and they cannot be tool of any party
Media/Press, If we stand together, we can end violence in our homeland. This is the time! People have risen from their sleep. Fright will neither take you nor us anywhere. Please wake up!
In a way, the British government is now a party to the post-election situation in Pakistan. Hope the British Government is mindful of the post-election situation, particularly in Karachi because the accusing finger is being pointed towards one of their foster citizens.
Really!!!! Pak Army how many people more???
They are starting as they we have to doss we We will never forget we are Muslim they are forget so they do that
Incredibly tragic.
If it were simply about 2 thieving, and now murdering, scumbags daring to snatch a purse in broad daylight in a decent area from an old lady who also happens to be an important senior political leader, instead of a political assassination, what does it say about how safe the common citizen is in Karachi? How pathetic is the law and order situation?
Namaloom afrad doing the dirty work of maloom fard. When things become so oppressive the people rise up. The time is near.
MQM trolls never gve up. Show some respect for the departed. Give your lame excuses a rest.
Who ever did this curse be on him. Some fingers are being pointed towards heavy weights of Karachi. Anyhow this can not be a case of purse snatching.
This is very tragic news. I cannot believe how coward the killers have been. Taking the life of a woman, an unarmed senior citizen is the most heinous crime. Let us not point fingers at one political party please. This is not the way to deal with this situation. MQM has lost tonnes of its own party senior members including founders of the party. We all should be united against terrorism.
I hope there is peace in Karachi. It hurts when people start blaming one political party for every thing that goes wrong in the city. Let us face this with maturity.
It was not a street crime as she already handed her purse to the men riding bike who turned back and pumped 3 bullets in her head.
Inna Lillahe Wa Inna Illaihe Rajioon. She was a wonderful lady...
its very shamfull act, and i my sympathy with pti and late lady zara shahid hussain,
Each and every murder of innocent civilians is a shameful act and should be condemned by all without any ifs and buts. Having said that when more than 60 thousand murders are committed (and taken responsibility with pride) by Taliban we do not see this much outrage and condemnation. How would people feel if one says let us forget this murder and recognize the killers as equal partners? PTI supporters should understand the pains of the families of slain victims of TTP and that these murders cannot be easily ignored. All killers must be punished to the full extent of law no exceptions and no ideological alliance with killers. RIP Begum Sahiba.
I condemn this barbaric attack. Hopefully her murderers and the murderers of 100s of ANP, MQM & PPP workers & CANDIDATES will be found and brought to justice. They ARE our enemy, I hope PTI's leadership in KP now understands!
@Pro Pakistani: you never had any mandate.
Imran Khan says this is the world of Altaf Hussain. This only shows his political wisdom and his political aims. He should learn politics, see how Nawaz Sharif is tackling such issues then he can learn something at least. This is not his playboy years of India during early 70's. This is ground politics. He should issue statements like a politician. This election has put many institutions and parties as well as foreign hands in murky waters. People know the game, so should he know too.
@Ahmed: For once, I wholeheartedly agree with IK!
To me, it seems a conspiracy against PTI and MQM. Both, MQM and PTI have got young, educated and vibrant leadership which can provide Pakistan potential leadership. Parties and forces of status-quo are conspiring against these two parties. Since, they cannot compete PTI and MQM because of their caliber, they are trying to create enmity between them in order to make them fight with one another. Beware PTI and MQM supporters, they are trying to use you against each other.
Really sad incident. RIP
The timing of this incident is mysterious, most likely it is not MQM (even though I am a PTI .Someone else is trying to flare up things between PTI and MQM in this specific incident.
I believe the "namaloom afraad" are responsible for this murder as a signal to PTI voters.
Has PTI condemned killing of 21 persons in Malakand mosque just yesterday May 17?
I don't think it was the taliban, they would have done such a thing ages ago as with ANP but as usual killers would never be found just like from Liaquat Ali khan to BB
RIP
cowerd act by some ruthless heartless peoples..
I wish ET would have some guts & integrity to report what Imran Khan & others have said. They have blamed Altaf Hussain. Its about time the media (more specifically their owners) speak up against the MQM for the truth.
Imran Khan issued a very Clear statement that Altaf Hussain is responsible for murder of Zahra Shahid Hussain See his latest tweets https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/335830688261623808 https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/335832314133221376
First political assassination after the election 2013.
RIP....
The bori mafia in action again
MQM cant be behind this, this event will aggravate PTI supporters and they will vote in records numbers tomorrow, and MQM knows the state of mind of people, so they would never aggravate them. A third party is behind this attack.
I have already voted...............but yes, you have frightened me.........for now.
TALIBAN had killed the lady................what is ur opinion my secular junta
Shameful act....
First they stole our mandate and now we are on their hit list. I demand from Imran Khan to take strict stand on this incident. If this is democracy, we dont want it.
I am very grieved to read that a senior member of PTI has been killed today evening.
The problem in Pakistan's politics is that people have narrow mind and they cannot tolerate the opponents.
It is a cowardly act and people who killed her should be immediately arrested and should be taken to task.
The justice should be delivered at all cost.
May Al-Might Allah rest her soul in peace. AMEEN.
The motive of the attack could not be immediately ascertained?! Take a guess....
on her twitter its saying its some other zahra ET plz check
Mr Khan, people stood up for change, they stood up for a real revolution. They sacrificed their lives because it was never about power, it is always about Justice. Silence and condemnation is not the solution, You better speak up !!
here comes some show of power. ..Na-maloon afrrad again in action. ..:/
another attack By Na maloom Afrad!!!!!!!!!!!
Agencies have started to play their game in Karachi once again! God save us..
I am a MQM supporter and I strongly condemn this barbaric act! May her soul rest in heaven!
Rest in peace! :(
Inna Lillahe Wa Inna Illaihe Rajioon So much for asking their rights. This shows the forces which are against re election are worried that they would lose their mandate.