Investigations: ‘DSP Zaidi killed over personal enmity’

At least 47 police personnel have been killed in Karachi in the current year.

KARACHI: Police officials investigating the murder of Sindh High Court's security in-charge DSP Zulfiqar Zaidi have ruled out the possibility of sectarian motives or any connection to the on-going incidents of targeted killings of personnel. They believe DSP Zaidi was killed over 'personal enmity'.

DSP Zaidi, who was the security in-charge of Sindh High Court and the Sindh Secretariat, was gunned down along with a friend, identified as Shahzad alias Sherry, in an act of targeted killing on Saturday night.  At least three armed men on a motorcycle shot him dead while he was sitting at a restaurant near his residence in Shah Faisal Colony. Both the victims were shot multiple times from close range and died on the spot. Shahzad retaliated and opened fire at the culprits, however, the latter managed to overpower him and flee.

With DSP Zaidi's murder, the number of targeted killings of police personnel in Karachi in the current year has risen to 47. At least half-a-dozen other high-profile killings have taken place in recent weeks. Most of the cases of the targeted killings of police personnel have remained unsolved despite the constitution of special police teams to investigate these incidents. Investigators have had no luck with the high-profile cases either.

The latest incident was, however, different in one aspect. Within hours of Dr Zaidi's murder, the police pegged their investigations on personal enmity.

DSP Zaidi was born in the same area. He had always maintained good relations with the people living in the vicinity. Over the last few days, however, he had got into a dispute with some of the residents.

According to the investigators, DSP Zaidi and his rivals had fought over the use of a room in the communal ground. "We are not sure but it is likely that these neighbours are behind the incident," DSP Chandzaib Khan told The Express Tribune. No case has yet been registered.

DSP Zaidi's funeral prayers were offered at Police Headquarters, Garden, and were attended by senior police officials, as well as Sindh IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali, the Karachi commissioner and the Sindh High Court registrar. IG Jamali also announced the posthumous promotion of the martyred officer in the next grade.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2015.