Karachi intellectual, NGO director shot dead

KARACHI: Sabeen Mahmud, the founder and director of T2F, a community space for open dialogue, and PeaceNiche, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), was gunned down here in Defence Phase II Extension on Friday night.
She was a human rights activist and an intellectual.Police said Sabeen Mahmud and her mother, Mehnaz, were heading towards their home from T2F in their car when two men riding a motorcycle fired gunshots at their vehicle on the Sunset Lane 5.
They were rushed to the National Medical Centre whereSabeen expired. Her body was taken to the Jinnah Hospital for autopsy. Mehnaz was admitted to a private hospital.
DIG South Jamil Ahmed said Sabeen had suffered five bullet wounds to her upper torso and face and was attacked with a 9mm pistol. He added that a team had been formed to probe the case. The official said the police were using the statement of Sabeen’s driver, who was driving her car at the time of the attack, to prepare sketches of the attackers. He said the police were also trying to find out if there were any CCTV cameras in the vicinity of the crime scene.
Hours after the fatal attack on Sabeen, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah issued a statement condemning the act and ordered police officials concerned to submit a report at the earliest.Additional IGP Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo has formed a special team under the supervision of DIG South to investigate the murder of Sabeen Mahmud.