Another policeman martyred in Orangi Town in a week

A policeman was gunned down in the Orangi Town area on Saturday in the second incident of a cop’s killing in the area in one week.

The martyred cop, Police Constable Habibullah was gunned down by alleged robbers within the limits of the Iqbal Market police station. He was around 50 to 55 years old. The incident occurred at night near a hotel in Mansoor Nagar.

According to a statement issued by the District West police, the incident took place when the martyred official was on his way to the police station on Saturday night at around 9pm. He was accompanied by two other police constables, Haroon and Ameen, of the Adeeb Abbasi Shaheed police post. The team was going to the police station to pick another constable for patrolling on the night shift.

As they reached Mansoor Nagar, they were told by a person that some robbers were mugging people in a narrow street of the area. The constables entered the street to intercept the suspects; however, as the suspects saw the cops they opened fire on them which caused bullet wounds to the martyred constable in his head. He was rushed to Qatar Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

The suspects managed to flee after they fired at the cops. The other two policemen remained unhurt.

The attackers used a 9mm pistol in the offence. The police seized bullet shells from the crime scene, which were sent to the forensic division of the Sindh police.

The martyred Habibullah was posted at the Iqbal Market police station. He was a retired army official who had joined the police force after his retirement from the army.

Sindh Inspector General of Police Dr Kaleem Imam took notice of the killing and sought a report on the incident from the SSP West.

Investigators said they would investigate the incident from various angles including the possibility of target killing. A case has been registered and further investigations are under way.

Second incident in area

A few days ago on March 4, another policeman, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Rizwan, was gunned down in the Orangi Town neighbourhood.

The incident took place when the 40-year-old deceased official was standing at a meat shop located near Subhani Masjid in Orangi Town No 13 within the limits of the Iqbal Market police station.

Police officials said at least two armed men riding a motorcycle targeted the ASI, adding that the deceased was shot twice in his head and face and died on the spot. The armed assailants managed to escape after committing the crime.

The body was shifted to Abbassi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities and later handed over to the family for burial.

Following the target killing, the police and Rangers reached the site to investigate the incident. Police investigators collected at least two empty shells of a 9mm pistol from the crime scene and also claimed to have obtained CCTV footage of the incident that was recorded by cameras nearby.

According to District West SSP Shaukat Khatiyan, the martyred ASI was posted at the Iqbal Market police station. The SSP explained that the policeman was targeted by the armed motorcyclists when he left the police station for some work. “He was going somewhere in Orangi Town and stayed at a meat shop where armed assailants targeted and martyred him.”

This was not the first time, ASI Rizwan was targeted in an armed attack. Earlier in 2012, he survived a targeted attack in the Banaras area in which he was critically injured while his fellow policeman, Mohsin, embraced martyrdom.

Zone West has witnessed a surge in target killings and other violent incidents of late as during the last few months, leaders, workers and offices of political parties have come under attack in the area, besides the killings of two policemen.

Commenting on the rise in criminal activities in Zone West, police officials said the suspects involved in political violence and a previous killing of a policeman in the Pak Colony area had already been arrested while the police were now looking for the suspects involved in the recent killing.

The funeral prayers for the martyred police official were offered at the police headquarters, Garden, on Monday which were attended by, besides his family members and relatives, a large number of senior police and Rangers officials, including Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Dr Syed Kaleem Imam and Rangers Director General Major General Muhammad Saeed.

The martyred official was later laid to rest at a graveyard in Baldia Town. The IGP offered his condolences to the family and assured them that the culprits would be arrested. The police chief also announced compensation and other facilities for the heirs of the martyred ASI.