Ahmadiyya community member shot dead

Karachi

A member of the Ahmadiyya community was shot dead in the city on Wednesday in what was described by investigators as a targeted attack.

Dawood Ahmad, 55, was fatally injured as unknown assailants shot at him outside his house near Metroville, Block-2 of Gulshan-e-Iqbal. His friend, 35-year-old Shamsher, also suffered injuries in the attack but his condition was said to be out of danger.

Mobina Town police officials said the deceased had been rushed to a private hospital, but his injuries proved too severe. The body was then taken to the JPMC for legal formalities where a medico-legal officer confirmed that Dawood had been shot four times in the chest and stomach.

In a statement issued after the condemnable attack, a spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya community, said Dawood became the 30th Ahmadi to be killed in Karachi due to religious hatred. “He was waiting for his friend outside his house when two unidentified men pulled up on a motorbike. The man sitting behind disembarked and opened fire at him, fleeing thereafter. 

Three bullets hit Dawood; one in the chest and two in the abdomen,” said the spokesperson, Saleem Ud Din, adding that he would be laid to rest at Rabwah. 

Condemning the distressing incident and expressing deep grief over the senseless murder, he added, “Mischievous and baseless propaganda is going on all over the country against Ahmadis, which becomes the basic reason for such grievous incidents.”  “It was announced in the National Action Plan that hate promoters would be targeted, but it is sad to note that elements who promote hate against Ahmadis are still free and remain busy spreading hateful propaganda without any fear of repercussions.”

“In all, 30 Ahmadis have been killed in Karachi and not a single murderer has been brought to justice till now. Consequently, extremist elements feel encouraged,” he said, demanding immediate efforts for the arrest of Dawood’s killers. 

Murder 

A man identified as 55-year-old Muhammad Saleem was killed by his friend, Fazalullah, near Bashir Chowk in Sector 5, New Karachi.

The murderer managed to flee after the fatal shooting and the victim’s body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for a postmortem. Investigators said the murder was driven by a personal enmity as the two had been involved in a heated argument prior to the fatal attack.