Face off: Two suspects killed in ‘police encounter’

Separately, four men affiliated with a political party were gunned down in Orangi Town.

KARACHI: In yet another bloody day in Karachi, two friends affiliated with a religious party were killed in an alleged police encounter on Mauripur Road, while four men affiliated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were gunned down in Orangi Town on Tuesday. 

The suspects who died in the police encounter were identified as Zeeshan aka Faizan Chohto and Mustaqeem. Zeeshan was the chief of unit-188 of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), while Mustaqeem is a supporter of the ASWJ and he is reportedly also associated with the MQM.



Their families claim the men were apprehended by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) personnel after raids at their houses four days ago. “The CID personnel arrived at our homes and ensured that they would be back with them after some initial questioning over a case,” said their family members.

“We visited the CID office several times later and they always assured us that they were safe, but now they have killed them.”

Moreover, the ASWJ and the families have accused the police of ‘extrajudicial killings’.

Police sources told The Express Tribune that the suspects were handed over to the Mochko police later, adding that the persons had no criminal records.

CID DSP Chaudhry Aslam Khan, refuting allegations against him, said the CID police had no links with the matter, while Mochko police station SHO Shafiq Tanoli said that the suspects were killed during an encounter with the police. “The encounter took place when police were snap checking vehicles near Musharraf Colony,” claimed SHO Tanoli. “When the police signalled them to stop their motorcycle, they opened indiscriminate fire at the police mobile and tried to escape.”

During the exchange of fire, both the suspects were killed. He said that their bodies were moved to Civil Hospital Karachi. A case has been registered against them.

Their mutual friend, Mohammad Farhan, had also been killed in the CID custody on July 13. Farhan was also associated with the ASWJ and arrested by CID police over his alleged involvement in incidents of targeted killings, said an ASWJ spokesperson.

“Farhan was killed by the CID in a similar manner,” added the spokesperson. “But the difference was that Farhan was tortured to death at the CID office, while they killed Zeeshan and Mustaqeem on the road.”

He said that Zeeshan and Mustaqeem had played a vital role in registering a case against the CID police over the extrajudicial killing of their friend.

Target killings

Four workers of the MQM were sitting at a puncture shop when unidentified motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fire on them in Ghazi Nagar near Mohajir Chowk.

“The armed men entered the puncture shop and shot them multiple times,” said DSP Faisal Noor. “We found at least 19 empty shells of 9mm pistols and sent them to the forensic division.” The victims were identified as Pervez Alam, Jabbar, Nadeem, and Riaz Ahmed. Alam and Jabbar died on the spot, while the other two succumbed to their injuries during treatment.

Alam was also nominated in the murder case of a policeman in Orangi Town’s Mominabad police station in 1995, he added.

A number of MQM workers have been killed in the recent months in Orangi Town and most of them were allegedly killed by Taliban and members of banned religious outfits, including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

MQM MPA Nadeem Zafar reached the hospital and condemned the incident. Tension prevailed in the area following the incident as routine and commercial activities were suspended.

Separately, the body of a young man packed in a gunny bag was found from Maripur. Police officials said the victim was tortured to death after being kidnapped.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2013.