Point blank range: Two policemen gunned down by motorcyclist during snap check
Police asked to stay vigilant, security heightened at police stations.
“He was a brave man,” said Asghar’s relative, Imran Ali. “Now it is the police department’s duty to take care of his family.” STOCK IMAGE
KARACHI:
Half an hour before the sun was about to rise on Wednesday morning, two policemen were shot dead while on duty near Sohrab Goth.
At 6:45am, two police constables were on their official motorcycle conducting snap checks and routine patrol of a neighbourhood when an unidentified motorcyclist opened fire at them near the Sohrab Goth underpass within the limits of the Samanabad police station.
A police van stationed a kilometre away, was unable to chase the culprits as they had fled by the time the police received information about what had happened.
“It happened so randomly,” said ASI Farooq, who was on duty and was sitting in the van at the time of the incident. “They were with us and then suddenly, they started moving towards the underpass without informing anyone.”
The deceased
Muhammad Hussain, 34, died on the spot while constable Asghar, 45, was found critically injured by a policeman when the mobile reached the crime scene after hearing gunshots. They were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Asghar succumbed to injuries during treatment.
The incident
Witnesses claim that one man was behind the attack. “A young clean shaven man dressed in shalwar kameez was standing by a footpath and was parking his motorcycle,” said a witness. “He started shooting at the policemen as soon as they stopped for a snap check.”
Both men had been posted at the Samanabad police station for the last 10 years. Their colleague, Jan Muhammad, said that the incident had shocked them all. “Patrolling and snap checking was their routine duty,” he said. “They were experienced policemen.”
So far investigators have not been able to trace or arrest the man responsible for the attack. The SHO of the Samanabad police station, Nadir Khan, was suspended and demoted by the authorities following the incident for not adopting the standard operating procedure — policemen are not allowed to leave the station alone for snap checks or patrolling.
“It is premature to say anything right now about who the assailant was or why he was standing there alone at the time of the incident,” said DSP Ahmed Nawaz. “We have to trace him and find out if he belongs to a criminal or militant group.” He added that the police was going to use CCTV footage in the investigation.
Precautionary measures
Following the incident, the police have been asked to stay vigilant particularly during snap checks while security has also been beefed up at police stations and CCTV cameras have been installed at high-risk police stations. Check posts have also been set up for extra security.
The funeral
Hussain was a resident of Bufferzone while Asghar resided in Shah Faisal Colony. Both men were married. Asghar was scheduled to be buried at Wadi-e-Hussain graveyard while Hussain’s body was kept at the Edhi morgue. The police are waiting for his family to arrive from Punjab for the funeral.
“He was a brave man,” said Asghar’s relative, Imran Ali. “Now it is the police department’s duty to take care of his family.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2014.
Half an hour before the sun was about to rise on Wednesday morning, two policemen were shot dead while on duty near Sohrab Goth.
At 6:45am, two police constables were on their official motorcycle conducting snap checks and routine patrol of a neighbourhood when an unidentified motorcyclist opened fire at them near the Sohrab Goth underpass within the limits of the Samanabad police station.
A police van stationed a kilometre away, was unable to chase the culprits as they had fled by the time the police received information about what had happened.
“It happened so randomly,” said ASI Farooq, who was on duty and was sitting in the van at the time of the incident. “They were with us and then suddenly, they started moving towards the underpass without informing anyone.”
The deceased
Muhammad Hussain, 34, died on the spot while constable Asghar, 45, was found critically injured by a policeman when the mobile reached the crime scene after hearing gunshots. They were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Asghar succumbed to injuries during treatment.
The incident
Witnesses claim that one man was behind the attack. “A young clean shaven man dressed in shalwar kameez was standing by a footpath and was parking his motorcycle,” said a witness. “He started shooting at the policemen as soon as they stopped for a snap check.”
Both men had been posted at the Samanabad police station for the last 10 years. Their colleague, Jan Muhammad, said that the incident had shocked them all. “Patrolling and snap checking was their routine duty,” he said. “They were experienced policemen.”
So far investigators have not been able to trace or arrest the man responsible for the attack. The SHO of the Samanabad police station, Nadir Khan, was suspended and demoted by the authorities following the incident for not adopting the standard operating procedure — policemen are not allowed to leave the station alone for snap checks or patrolling.
“It is premature to say anything right now about who the assailant was or why he was standing there alone at the time of the incident,” said DSP Ahmed Nawaz. “We have to trace him and find out if he belongs to a criminal or militant group.” He added that the police was going to use CCTV footage in the investigation.
Precautionary measures
Following the incident, the police have been asked to stay vigilant particularly during snap checks while security has also been beefed up at police stations and CCTV cameras have been installed at high-risk police stations. Check posts have also been set up for extra security.
The funeral
Hussain was a resident of Bufferzone while Asghar resided in Shah Faisal Colony. Both men were married. Asghar was scheduled to be buried at Wadi-e-Hussain graveyard while Hussain’s body was kept at the Edhi morgue. The police are waiting for his family to arrive from Punjab for the funeral.
“He was a brave man,” said Asghar’s relative, Imran Ali. “Now it is the police department’s duty to take care of his family.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2014.