Targeted attack: Political party’s lawyer shot dead

Four armed men opened fire at Syed Waqarul Hassan Shah’s car on Thursday.

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawyers forum vice-president Syed Waqarul Hassan Shah was shot dead on Rashid Minhas Road on Thursday. Last September, Naimat Ali Randhawa, who was also the vice president of the PML-N lawyers’ wing, was killed in a similar manner.

Four armed men opened fire at the car of the 48-year-old lawyer, after which he was rushed to a private hospital, where he breathed his last, said Gulshan-e-Iqbal SHO Aurangzeb Khattak. The police have found several empty shells from the crime scene, he informed.

PML-N information secretary Ali Akbar Gujjar, while talking to The Express Tribune, said the recent spree of violence and the murder of the office bearer raises question over the efficiency of the Sindh government.

“Those involved in the killing of innocent citizens over political disputes are behind the killing of our comrade.” He added that the targeted attacks have been plaguing the city for the last 15 years. After the targeted operation conducted on the directives of the PML-N, the situation in the city was turning to normal but it will take time to ensure lasting peace, he added.

“The slain lawyer was an expert in criminal cases and police investigations reveal that his profession cost him his life,” he said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Sindh IGP announced a reward of Rs50,000 to the person who will provide any leads to arrest the culprits. A special investigation team has also been constituted by Additional IG Shahid Hayat and it will work under the directives of Criminal Intelligence Agency DIG Sultan Ali Khawaja, he added. East SSP Pir Muhammad Shah, Special Investigation Unit SP Farooq Awan and Investigation SP Abdul Hameed Khoso and other police officials are part of the team.

CJ takes notice

Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar has ordered the Sindh police chief to submit a report on the killing of Shah.

Issuing directions to the Sindh IGP, the CJ asked him to complete all initial investigations and submit a report soon. Earlier, the chief justice had accepted the lawyers’ request to suspend the legal proceedings at the high court when yet another one of their colleague was killed.

Boycott

Legal proceedings at the SHC were suspended after 10:30am on the request of the members of the SHC Bar Association. On Wednesday, the lawyers had observed the sixth death anniversary of two of their colleagues, who were torched in an arson attack on April 9, 2008.

SHCBA president ZK Jatoi lamented that the killings of his fraternity members continue without respite. No proceedings took place at the City Courts, Malir courts and anti-terrorism courts, as well. Malir Bar Association had also announced a boycott of court proceedings in connection with the murder of a former president of the Jacobabad District Bar Association, Haji Anwar Ali Jakhrani, on Wednesday. The proceedings continued, however, partially for a couple of hours at the City Courts.

The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) had also announced the boycott of legal proceedings. The association said that the legal fraternity will also stay away from courts on Friday and hold a sit-in on MA Jinnah Road, where the bar associations will hold a condolence reference.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2014.