Target killing: Police clueless about triple murder

RAWALPINDI:

Rawalpindi police are still clueless about the murder of three persons in Sadiqabad late Friday night.

Three persons, identified as Syed Hamza Zafar, Syed Fiaz Shah and Syed Ghazi Ali Sherazi, were gunned down by unidentified persons on Friday night. Police say the assailants were on foot and disappeared in the nearby streets after the shooting.

Police are unclear whether the attack was a targeted killing or a street crime.

Funeral prayers of the deceased were offered at Liaqat Bagh on Saturday, with MWM leader Raja Nasir Abbas leading the prayers, and the deceased were buried at Kuri road cemetery.

The victims were relatives of Superintendent of Police (SP) Haseeb Shah.

Mudassir Naqvi, cousin of the deceased Fiaz Shah, told The Express Tribune that Fiaz had been practicing law for the last 15 years. He said they had no family rift, business dispute or any other enmity with anyone.

He said the killing seemed a targeted attack but said they could not comprehend who would attack his cousin.

There were some property disputes within the family but they were not very serious.

Fiaz was also vice-president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Rawalpindi chapter lawyers wing. He was an active member of the PPP before he joined the PTI.

Local PTI leader Arif Abbasi said Fiaz was an active member of the party and his death was a matter of concern. Abbasi said police and the district administration have assured them of a thorough investigation into the murder.

City Police Officer Humayun Bashir Tarar said the police were investigating the case and that it would be too early to say anything about the attackers.

Another police official, who requested anonymity, said that all three victims were Shias but he said it could not be established whether it was a purely sectarian attack.

He, however, said that there has been a flurry of sectarian attacks in the city in recent months and this could be a part of the wider trend.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2015.