Two ASWJ activists gunned down in target killing

Two activists belonging to the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamat (ASWJ) were killed, while another was injured in a targeted attack in the city on Friday.

According to New Karachi Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Shabbir Ahmed Baloch, the incident took place near UP Mor in New Karachi. He said that acting on information of the shooting, the police rushed to the crime scene with a team where they found three critically wounded people. They were identified as 40-year-old Mohammad Arshad, 38-year-old Mohammad Saleem and Azam Shabbir.

With the help of rescue teams, the injured men were moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Arshad and Saleem succumbed to their wounds, while Shabbir was said to be in critical condition.

Upon investigation, it was learnt that the deceased and injured were residents of Khwaja Ajmer Nagri area and worked as Qaris (religious teachers). They were returning from the mosque on Friday evening when two armed men wearing helmets on a motorcycle opened fire at them.

SP Baloch said that the deceased were hit by bullets on their torsos which became the cause of their deaths. The attackers used 9mm pistol in the offence, while used bullet shells were recovered from the crime scene. He added that the police checked for the availability of CCTV footage to help with the investigation.

Investigators said the double murder apparently seems to be a targeted attack, however, other aspects would also be looked into during investigation.

Moreover, the deceased were said to originate from Ahmedpur Shariqia in Punjab. The funeral prayers took place in North Karachi which was attended by ASWJ leadership and other activists.