An advocate of high court and a former UC councilor of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) were gunned down in separate incidents in the metropolis here on Tuesday, as police fears resurgence of target killing in the commercial hub of the country. The lawyer was gunned down near Cafe Liberty Chowk, Tariq Road within the remits of Ferozabad police station in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
They said some unknown assailants opened fire on Waheed-ur-Rehman Qureshi, 40, son of Asadullah Qureshi, resident of Kehkashan Society, when he was on the way to his home. Police shifted him to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre but he succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. Police registered FIR No 734/11, against the unidentified attackers on the complaint of deceased's friend, Khalil Jaffery, and initiated investigation.
SHO Ejaz Khawaja said the victim was an advocate of high court and was returning home after meeting someone in Azizabad when he was targeted. He said: "Preliminary investigations suggest this is a case of target killing, as the culprits used the same style for the murder which was witnessed in previous wave of targeted killings."
Soon after the incident, Karachi Bar Association (KBA) announced to boycott courts' proceedings against the killing. The association strongly condemned Waheed's killing and demanded early arrest of the culprits involved in the incident. Meanwhile, a former councilor of PPP was gunned down in Shanti Nagar area in the jurisdiction of Aziz Bhatti police station.
Gull Hassan, 35, son of Ghulam Nabi, was standing in front of his house in Shanti Nagar area of Dalmia, Gulshan Iqbal, when unidentified armed men riding a motorcycle came there and opened fire on him. As a result he died on the spot. Police said the victim was a former UC consular of PPP and had some disputes with drug peddlers of Lyari namely Nasir, Babu and Abdul Razzaq. They said that there were criminal cases registered against the victim in Aziz Bhatti police station. The body was shifted to JPMC for medico-legal formalities. Police registered FIR No 664/11 against Nasir, Babu and Abdul Razzak on the complaint of victim's brother, Mohammad Ali. Further investigation is in progress.