Ambushed: Allama Hussain's guards laid to rest while police register case

The two guards were killed when armed men attacked Hussain's convoy late Saturday night.

KARACHI: The two security guards of prominent Shia scholar Allama Mirza Yousuf Hussain, who were shot dead in a targeted attack on Saturday night in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, were laid to rest on Sunday.

Their funeral prayers were offered at the Imambargah in Ancholi society after Zuhr prayers and they were laid to rest at the Wadi-e-Hussain graveyard. A large number of people, who attended their funeral, also staged a protest against the incident on main Sharae Pakistan, suspending traffic for some time. The protesters shouted slogans against the incident and demanded government and law enforcers arrest the culprits.

"Along with me, there are many more Shia scholars and leaders whose lives are also at risk as they are on the hit-list of the terrorists," said Allama Hussain.

"The government should provide us more security to keep us safe. This was the third attack on me. The government will be to blame if anything happens to me or any other community leaders or scholars."

Meanwhile, police registered a case against unidentified persons. "It appears to be a sectarian-based attack," said SP Ali Asif. "We are also looking for witnesses to make sketches of the culprits for their arrests."

The deceased were killed when armed men opened fire at the scholar, who remained unharmed. According to initial reports, at least four armed men on two motorcycles targeted the convoy of Shia Ulema Council's leader Allama Hussain near Shah-e-Zaman Imambargah in Block 12, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, within the limits of Shara-e-Faisal police station, killing his police guard, Zahid Hussain and a private guard, Mazhar Hussain.

"Allama Hussain had arrived to meet his party's leader in the area," said SP Ali Asif. "The bullets missed his vehicle but hit and killed his guards who were in the squad's vehicle."

Allama Hussain's eldest son Khadim Hussain was killed earlier in a sectarian attack in Nazimabad.

Spokesperson for the Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen condemned the attack and demanded the Rangers and police arrest the culprits. "This was not the first attack on Allama Hussain and his family," the spokesperson said. "They should be provided more security and the government and law enforcers will be responsible if any untoward incident occurs in the future."

Violence round-up

Separately, a police's ASI, 42-year-old Jabbar, son of Noor Muhammad, was gunned down near Preedy Center, Saddar within the limits of Preedy police station. Police officials said that deceased along with another policeman was on patrol when armed riders targeted him and escaped. He was shot multiple times and died moments after the incident.

Similarly, 16-year-old Sami Noor was shot dead in an armed attack on a doctor's car at Dir Colony within the limits of Shara-e-Noor Jahan police station. DSP Iftikhar Lodhi said the deceased was returning home after picking up his sister up from Rehmat Clinic when he was attacked.

In another incident of firing, 30-year-old Shazia, a resident of Shah Faisal Colony, was shot dead when at least two armed riders opened fire at a rickshaw at Bhittaiabad area. Meanwhile, a young man was found dead from Manghopir area. Police officials said that the deceased was slaughtered by unidentified assailants at least 15 days ago. His body was shifted to the Edhi morgue after medico-legal formalities.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2013.