Property dealer among two gunned down in target killings

With incidents of target killings in the city on the rise, two people, including a property-cum-car dealer, were shot dead on Sunday. Meanwhile, four others were wounded in separate incidents of firing in parts of the city.

A man was shot dead in Defence Phase II within the limits of the Defence police station. The body was moved to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medico-legal formalities. The deceased was identified as 55-year-old Javed Ali Arain, son of Abdur Rasheed. Police said two armed men riding a motorcycle were behind the murder, who escaped after shooting the man dead.

According to SHO Azam Rajper, initial investigations suggested that as soon as the victim reached near his residence on a motorcycle, the two armed men, who had been following him, arrived and escaped after shooting him multiple times.

The victim was shot at least six times in different parts of his body, including the head. Police investigators collected empty shells of a pistol from the crime scene and sent them to the forensic division of the Sindh police for ballistics cross-matching.

Police said the deceased person was the owner of various properties in Defence Housing Authority, which he had rented out. The victim was also associated with a car business. Terming the murder an incident of target killing, police said they suspected that the man was killed over a monetary dispute but they were investigating the case from different angles. The deceased hailed from Multan and was the father of a son and a daughter. A case has been registered and investigations are under way.

In another incident of target killing, 50-year-old Zia, son of Enayat, was gunned down in Taiser Town within the limits of the Surjani Town police station. The body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Upon receiving the information, police and rescuers reached the scene and inquired into the incident. According to SHO Deedar Ali, the victim had gone with his minor children to visit his plot when he was targeted.

The deceased was a resident of Manghopir and his two children had also been kidnapped about a couple of months ago with the kidnapping case registered at the Manghopir police station.

Police said the victim’s brother-in-law, namely Arshad, a nephew, namely Ibrahim, and another person, Farooq, were behind the murder who had apparently killed the victim over a personal enmity. They added that they were investigating the case from different angles.

A youth identified as Aziz, 23, was shot dead by robbers in Darussalam Society in Korangi after he put up resistance during snatching of his mobile phone. The body was moved to the JPMC.

Separately, a 55-year-old man, Roshan, was wounded after apparently a stray bullet hit and injured him in FC Area within the limits of the Sharifabad police station. He was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medical treatment.

In a similar incident, Sheheryar Shah, 32, was wounded in North Nazimabad and shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Police said the victim was hit and injured by a stray bullet. Similarly, an eight-year-old boy, Danish, was wounded after being hit by a stray bullet hit in Yaro Goth within the Surjani Town police’s remits. He was moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

In a mugging incident, 40-year-old Ashraf Sajjad was wounded after he offered resistance to robbers near Natha Goth within the limits of the Malir Cantonment police station. He was shifted to the JPMC.