A policeman inspects the car in which Karim Hashwani was targeted on Wednesday. PHOTO: ONLINE
The deceased, Karim Hashwani, left his house in North Nazimabad’s Block E at around 8:45am. As soon as he reached the corner of his apartment building, Hashwani — who was sitting in the backseat of his company’s white Honda City car — was fired at.
“The second man on the motorcycle walked over to the car when it slowed down on the turning and opened fire,” said a witness, who worked at a nearby teashop. “The man who was riding the motorcycle was also firing.”
Hashwani suffered three shots while his driver, 45-year-old Muhammad Nawaz, was shot four times. Hashwani died shortly after the shooting while Nawaz succumbed to his injuries later at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
The assailants tried to escape after the shooting but, since the North Nazimabad police station is located nearby, the police responded to the hue and cry raised by the neighbours and managed to chase after the suspects. They caught one of the shooters but his accomplice, the mastermind, managed to escape.
The arrested suspect, Hashmi Ishaq, was moved to an undisclosed location but the police shared with the media the information he had revealed. Ishaq told the police that he came to Karachi from his hometown, Peshawar, around three days ago and stayed with his friend, Khalid — the second shooter — at a house in Sohrab Goth, DSP Afaq Ahmed told The Express Tribune.
“Khalid used to work at a gas company and used to visit Hashwani for work-related matters,” the police officer explained. “Ishaq recalled how Khalid told him that Hashwani allegedly committed blasphemy and that Ishaq should come to Karachi to kill him.”
The duo hatched the plan somewhere in Korangi’s Bilal Colony and then executed it on Wednesday morning, said DSP Ahmed, quoting the accused. The suspect claimed he was affiliated with the banned militant group, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, but failed to give Khalid’s affiliation. The officer said they are going to verify the suspect’s statement and see what the actual motive behind the murder was.
Meanwhile, Hashwani’s family refused to comment. He leaves behind a widow and two children. His body was moved to a Jamaat Khana and his burial is likely to be held today, when his relatives come from abroad.
The police have yet to register the case but they have collected empty shells of 9mm and TT pistols from the crime scene to sent them to the forensic division.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2015.
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