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Friday April 26, 2024

Suspect who killed policeman in Karachi’s defence flees from Pakistan

Police earlier seized suspects documents including his Pakistani passport

By Afzal Nadeem Dogar & Kashif Mushtaq
November 22, 2022
A screengrab of shooter Khurram Nisar at the crime scene in Phase 5, DHA, Karachi.
A screengrab of shooter Khurram Nisar at the crime scene in Phase 5, DHA, Karachi. 

KARACHI: Khurram Nisar, the suspect who shot dead policeman Abdul Rehman in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase 5 area late Monday night, has fled from Pakistan.

According to police sources, Khurram has flown to Sweden on an international airline’s flight via Istanbul.

Police sources shared that the suspect has used his Swedish passport to run away from Pakistan.

Earlier today, Khurram — the son of a former deputy commissioner — reportedly gunned down a policeman and fled after an altercation took place between the two in DHA’s Phase 5, Geo News reported, citing police.

Video footage showed the altercation between the shooter, Khurram Nisar, and the deceased police officer, Abdul Rehman after they step out of a black vehicle with tinted windows.

Nisar could be seen stepping out of the driver's seat and Rehman from the passenger seat. In the same video, the cop can be seen holding a pistol and gesturing Nisar to sit in the car and go to the police station.

The martyred cop and his colleague chased Nisar and spoke to him after they allegedly noticed suspicious activity, according to Geo News.

According to the police, Nisar, came to Karachi from Sweden on November 5. He lives there with his wife and two children.

According to South DIG Irfan Baloch, Nisar's home in Karachi is near the crime scene in DHA Phase 5. He left the car used in the incident at home and fled in another car.

The police raided Nisar's house and seized weapons, documents and the vehicle used during the shooting. The house watchman was also detained.

The police say that a copy of Nisar's passport has also been seized and a search is underway to find the vehicle he escaped in. The houses of his friends are also being searched, while pictures of Nisar and details of his travel documents have been provided across airports.

Case registered

The case of the murder of the policeman was registered on the complaint of a sub-inspector at the Darakhshan Police Station.

The suspected shooter faces charges of terrorism, murder, and shootout with police, officials said.

Rahman, the martyred cop, was shot in the right temple. Initial medical examination showed the slug of the bullet got stuck in the head, according to the First Information Report (FIR).

The FIR also contains the detailed statement of the deceased cop’s partner, a constable, who was at the scene.

According to the police, both cops, members of the elite Shaheen Force, were on a motorcycle patrolling routine, when they heard screams of a woman coming from a sedan near a traffic light in Khayaban-e-Shamsheer, DHA Phase 5.

“The martyred cop, in the line of duty, sped after the black car and intercepted it near Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s mausoleum as soon as the driver pulled over. He then opened the front passenger side door and sat in the car. However, as soon as he got in the car, a girl sitting in the backseat bolted out of the vehicle,” the police FIR said.

Later, as per the FIR, the car moved ahead and stopped after covering some distance.

“During the drive, the cop and the shooter had a heated argument. They stopped and both the cop and the driver came out of the car each toting a gun. At that point, the driver took aim and shot the cop. The bullet hit him in the side of the head, killing him instantly,” the police said.

The FIR also said that the cop fired at the shooter, but missed.

Parents 'disown' Nisar

In their statement during the investigation, according to the police, Nisar's parents have "disowned" him and claimed that they have no idea about the suspect's whereabouts.

"Khurram comes to Pakistan once a year. We have no idea what he does when he comes to Pakistan. We cannot take any responsibility for his actions," the parents told the investigators.

Police officer's statement being investigated: South DIG

According to the South DIG, the statement of the other police officer present with the deceased officer has been recorded. He said the cop said in the statement that the officers saw Nisar trying to force a woman to sit with him in Boat Basin.

As per the statement, the policemen tried to stop Nisar from forcing the woman, who then ran away. The cops tried to control an armed Nisar, but he got angry. Rehman - the deceased policeman - sat in the car with Nisar, while another cop followed them on a motorcycle. The police wanted to take Nisar to the Darakhshan police station.

But the statement says that Nisar started to speed up and so they both (Rehman and Nisar) stepped out of the vehicle (which can be seen in the video footage). An argument ensued between the cop and shooter.

The South DIG said, however, that the statement is being investigated.

Initial reports

Earlier, in conversation with reporters, SSP South Asad Raza had shared the identity of the accused. He had shared that his accomplice was taken into custody, while the weapon and car used in the incident had been recovered.

SSP Raza had said that the suspect opened fire at the cop, fatally injuring him when the policemen tried to take the former to the police station.

He said that the suspect tried to stop a car and he aimed to kidnap a woman. According to the initial statement by the police, a woman was inside the suspect's car. But the woman reportedly sitting inside the suspect's car is yet to be tracked down.

The SSP said that the suspect fired two to three gunshots from inside his car and drove away. He requested the public to inform the police if they have any information about the accused.

Moreover, he said that Rehman also opened fire at the suspect in retaliation.

The post-mortem report revealed that Rehman sustained a single shot in the head that caused his death. Police say the bullet was shot from close range with a 9mm pistol.

Video of conversation between Rehman, suspect

A video of the argument between Rehman and the suspected shooter later surfaced. The video was reportedly filmed by a cop, while another cop — who couldn't be seen in the video — also filmed the suspect with his phone.

As per the details, the cop asked the suspect why he took out a weapon. At this, the suspect reportedly said that his weapon was licensed and that he can point it toward anyone he wants.

"You took out the gun; so did I," the suspect was seen saying to the cop sitting inside his car.