Gunned down: Two gangsters killed in alleged encounter

KARACHI: A key player of the Lyari gang war, Zubair Wehshi, was shot dead with one of his accomplices in an alleged encounter with the police within the limits of the Mochko police station.

The gangsters were wanted by the police in several criminal cases, including the kidnapping and murder of five members of the family of three boxers.

According to the police, Wehshi and Akbar alias Akbari, were killed after an exchange of fire during a raid conducted by law enforcers at their hideout in Mawach Goth on Sunday. Police officials also claimed to have recovered a Kalashnikov, two 7mm rifles, two repeaters, two 9mm pistols and around 500 bullets from their possession.

Wehshi, 22, was the operational commander for the Sheraz Comrade group of Lyari gangsters associated with the Uzair Baloch gang. He used responsible for extortion in Mawach Goth. Akbari, who was also in his early 20s, used to work as his assistant.

The gangster is accused of being involved in kidnapping and killing three boxers and two of their family members who were related to notorious Lyari gang leader Baba Ladla - Uzair Baloch's rival.

They were identified as Ismail, 34, his older brother, Javed, 38, their cousins - Shoaib and Faisal, and their maternal uncle, Taj Muhammad, 40. Taj and Shoaib were professional boxers who had played for the K-Electric team. Shoaib's father, Sher Muhammad, was their coach. Wehshi and Akbari were also wanted for their involvement in the murder of two men from the Crime Investigation Department in 2012.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2015.