Targeted attacks: Four men, including party activist, gunned down

Factory worker killed near his house in Qaimkhani Colony.

KARACHI: The brother of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat’s (ASWJ) District Central president was shot dead in an act of target killing while three others were gunned down and two bodies were found on in separate incidents around the city on Wednesday.

Abdul Latif, 30, an activist of the ASWJ and brother of the party’s district president, was killed while another was injured when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire at a general store near Pahar Ganj within the limits of the Sharae Noor Jahan police station. Latif and the injured, identified as Haider Ali, 40, were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for the autopsy and treatment.



According to the police, the deceased used to run a general store in his neighbourhood. They said that Latif was sitting at the store as per routine when two men on a motorcycle opened fire at him. They escaped before the police could reach the crime scene. The police collected eight empty bullet shells used in the shooting near the store and have initiated further investigation.

Latif’s brother, Abdul Rauf, is the ASWJ’s District Central president. The ASWJ, formerly known as the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) that was banned in 2002, condemned the incident and demanded that the culprits be arrested as soon as possible.

The funeral prayers were offered at a mosque near Latif’s residence and a large number of ASWJ workers and leaders were present. ASWJ’s leader Dr Fayyaz said that several of their leaders, workers and supporters had been killed but law enforcement agencies were not cooperating with them. He added that the authorities should arrests the culprits responsible for killing their men.

In an unrelated incident, a factory worker was gunned down near his house in Qaimkhani Colony within the jurisdiction of the Ittehad Town police station. The deceased was identified as 50-year-old Zameen Gul, son of Abdul Hameed. He was on his way to work in Sher Shah when unidentified men shot him. The motive behind the killing has yet to be ascertained.

Separately, a man identified as Syed Shah, 24, was shot dead near 4-K Chowrangi within the limits of the Surjani police station. The police said that the deceased was a resident of Qasba Colony, Orangi Town and was on his way to do some errands in Surjani when he was killed. The body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for the autopsy. In New Karachi, a factory superviser was killed inside his office located on the second floor of a clothing factory in Godhra Colony within the limits of the Gabol Town police station. Police officials said that the deceased was sitting in his office when unidentified men walked in and shot him in the head. The police have detained the factory’s security guard and have obtained CCTV footage to help them with the investigation.

Bodies found

The body of a woman identified as 45-year-old Feroza was found in her house in Orangi Town within the limits of the Pakistan Bazaar police station. The body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Police officials said that deceased was strangled to death while her husband was not at home. They, however, added that her husband will be included in the investigation.

An unidentified woman was found dead in the bushes near New Port Qasim within the limits of Shah Latif police station. Police officials said that the body was taken to Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2014.