Target killing: Police constable laid to rest

KARACHI:

A police constable gunned down late on Monday night in an act of target killing in the Old City area of Karachi was laid to rest Tuesday.

Police Constable Akhtar Lodhi, 30, was shot dead within the limits of Kharadar police station. He was on his way back to his house in the Kharadar police family quarters after completing his shift duty at the National Museum, when he was gunned down by two armed men on a motorcycle. He was shot thrice and died at the spot. His body was taken to Civil hospital and later handed over to his family for burial.

Lodhi’s funeral prayers were offered at Police Headquarter Garden. Karachi AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo attended the funeral prayers along with South DIG Abdul Khaliq Shaikh, Traffic DIG Arif Hanif, South SSP Faisal Bashir Memon, Security II SP Dr Qamar and other senior officers. Thebo also met the family of the deceased and extended his condolences. He offered a job to Lodhi’s eldest son in the police department and also issued instructions to his officers to provide full support to the family.

SHO Zafar Iqbal said that the constable was killed in an act of target killing and the police have yet to identify the perpetrators. Earlier in Karachi, over 66 policemen have been killed this year in several acts of target killing and terrorism.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2014.