At least two persons including a builder fell prey to the spate of targeted killing in separate incidents at various parts of the metropolis on Saturday. According to police and rescue sources, a young member of Association of Builders and Developers (Abad) was killed in a drive-by shooting at Shaheed-e-Millat Road in the limits of Ferozabad police station.
DSP Ghulam Murtaza said the victim, who was identified as Salman, 32 son of Azam was assaulted by two armed riders when he was sitting in his car parked outside Arsal House Plot No: 2, New Karachi Housing Scheme. Resultantly, he received four bullets and was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where he succumbed to his injures during treatment.
SHO Ejaz Khwaja suspected that the victim might have been murdered over personal ground and added that the culprits, who managed to flee from the scene, used small weapons in this murder as the police had recovered 30 bore shells from the spot.
Meanwhile, Chairman Association of Builders and Developers (Abad) Mohsin Sheikhani and other office bearers condemned the target killing of Salman son of Azam and demanded the government to take responsible persons to task on immediate basis. They also expressed concerns over such incidents, saying that the government should protect the lives and properties of the citizens.
Mohsin said after the incident, he went to the hospital to inquire about his health and failed to meet him as he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. He said the deceased, who received four bullets in drive-by shooting, was the young builder and added that the Abad is going to convene meeting to evolve future strategy to avert such untoward incidents.
A 25-year-old man namely Javed Katchi came under armed attack when he was sitting at his medical store located in Shah Waliullah road in the jurisdiction of Kalri police station. The victim, who was hit by two bullets on his head, was admitted in Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) in critical condition. SHO Safdar Mashwani suspected that the Lyari gangsters might have been involved in this attack as the victim, who earlier associated with Lyari gangsters' group Wasiullah Lakho, had left the group and started running medical store in the area.
Following the incident, tension prevailed in the said area where armed men restored to aerial firing and forced the shopkeepers to pull down their shutters. Later, heavy contingent of police and paramilitary rangers were deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident. A bullet-riddled body was found from Mirza Azam Khan Road in the limits of Kalakot police station on Saturday.
According to police, the victim, who was identified as Babar, 25 son of Abdul Hanaan and was hit by multiple shots on his upper torso, was rickshaw driver by his profession. They said the deceased went missing since last Thursday when his elder brother namely Shahnawaz Baloch was killed in similar manner.
DSP Muhammad Azam Khan said the younger brother of these two deceased persons namely Asif alias Pauwa, who was said to have been associated with one of the Lyari gangsters groups, had earlier killed two workers of rival Lyari gangster Aslam Niazi group in drunken condition at Dhobi Ghat area. In retaliation, the workers of Niazi rushed to Asif's residence to inflict him over his act. He said the accused Asif escaped from his residence but his two brothers Shahnawaz and Babar were caught by the gangsters.
He said the workers of Aslam Niazi claimed the lives of these persons one after another and threw their bodies at Mirza Azam Khan Road on May 17 and 19. He said the accused Asif was still absconder and the case in this regard was not registered till filing of this report.