Targeted attack: Senior doctor gunned down in Orangi Town

Deceased doctor was serving as the medico-legal officer at Qatar Hospital.

KARACHI: A senior doctor of Orangi Town's Qatar Hospital was among three people gunned down in targeted attacks across the city on Monday.

Dr Irfanuddin Qureshi, 54, was serving as the medico-legal officer at Qatar Hospital but, on Monday, he was targeted at his private clinic, Minhajuddin Medical Centre, in Sector 1-C of the same neighbourhood. Dr Qureshi was present at the clinic as per routine when two young men, who were wearing trousers and shirts, came to the clinic on a motorcycle.



"The one who was wearing a helmet stayed on the motorcycle outside the clinic when his accomplice went inside," said a witness. "They seemed very relaxed," he added. The suspect shot the doctor at least four times and then escaped on the motorcycle. Dr Qureshi died on the spot and his body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital later for an autopsy.

A resident of North Nazimabad, Dr Qureshi left behind three daughters and a son. He was associated with Qatar Hospital since 1992 and had been serving as MLO from the last five years. The police have yet to ascertain why he was targeted. "We are still confused why he was shot," admitted Orangi SHO Ghulam Nabi Afridi. Quoting initial investigations, the officer said that the deceased had no extortion threats or personal enmity.

"Since the deceased sympathised with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, we cannot rule out the possibility of political grounds behind his killing," SHO Afridi added. Meanwhile, Dr Qureshi's funeral prayers were offered at a mosque near his residence and he was later aid to rest at Sakhi Hassan graveyard.

The assistant medical superintendent of Qatar Hospital, Jamil Qureshi, condemned the killing and demanded the arrest of the culprits.

"He left the hospital at 11am as per routine and seemed fine when he was leaving the hospital," Jamil recalled. "He never complained of any threats. We are still trying to understand who killed him and why." The police have yet to register the case.

Lyari gangster shot

An alleged Lyari gangster, associated with the notorious Sheraz Comrade group, was shot dead in the Moosa Lane area of Lyari. The deceased was identified as Ayaz Niazi.

SHO Munir Chandio said that Niazi had a criminal record and he had also been imprisoned when he was caught by the police for a murder in 2008. The officer suspected that deceased was killed by his own companions over suspicions of being a police informant.

Shooting at seminary

On Monday morning, 55-year-old Ghulam Nabi was killed and 50-year-old Wudood was wounded in firing inside a religious seminary in Manghopir.

According to SHO Ghulam Hussain Korai, the deceased, who hailed from Khuzdar, came to Karachi to visit his friend, who is the administrator of the seminary. Nabi and a few students were sleeping inside when unidentified armed men entered and started shooting. The police believe that the victims may have put up resistance during a robbery that led to the shooting.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2013.