‘Labourers killed over personal enmity’

Police said that they had also been tortured and shot multiple times.

KARACHI:

The police suspect that the four labourers shot dead in Landhi were killed over a personal enmity. However, they are still unsure about the actual motive.

The Sukkan police reported that at least five men were targeted in Labour Square, Landhi, on Monday night. Three of them died while on way to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Another man succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The fifth man, who was later identified as Akmal, is still under treatment at the hospital.

The deceased were identified as Niaz, Iman Dino, Ali Akbar and Younus. The police believe that they were between the ages of 25 to 27. According to Akmal's statement, unidentified motorcyclists were responsible. "I was walking behind them [the deceased]," he said. "I was not the target, they were." He added that he was shot once in the leg and added that he saw three men escape after the attack.

The injured man claimed that they were attacked during an electricity failure in the area. The deceased used to work at the Export Processing Zone in Landhi. Three of them were from Khairpur while Younus was from Alipur.

The police have also collected 23 empty shells of 0.30bore pistol from the crime scene and have initiated further investigation. "As such we did not find anything to ascertain the motive behind the incident," explained DSP Rao Iqbal. "We suspected that the incident had taken place over a personal enmity." The officer added that FIR No. 291/14 had been registered against unidentified persons on Akmal's behalf.

Target killings

A man was shot dead within the jurisdiction of the Pak Colony police station. The deceased was shot at multiple times and was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he succumbed to injuries and died during treatment. He was later identified as Syed Abbas Haider Zaidi, a resident of Block 17, FB Area.

SHO Munir Chandio said that as soon as the deceased slowed down his car, a Cultus, at least four men on two motorcycles who had been following him opened fire at him. He added that it might have been a sectarian killing and further investigation was underway.

In an unrelated incident, two men were found dead from Gulshan-e-Kaneez within the limits of Surjani police station. Police officials said that the bodies were found after the residents informed them. The bodies were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for autopsies. Police officials said that both victims were kidnapped and killed. They added that they had also been tortured and shot multiple times. While  the bodies have been moved to the Edhi morge, the police have initiated further investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2014.