Sindh Bar Council official gunned down in brazen attack

KARACHI: Irfan Ali Mehar, an official of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC), was shot dead in broad daylight in Gulistan-e-Jauhar locality on Wednesday morning.

The incident took place at around 7:54am near the victim's residence close to Chappal Plaza in Block 13 of Gulistan-e-Jauhar when Irfan Ali Mehar was driving a car. “He (deceased) was attacked when returning home after dropping off his son to school,” said Rana Haseeb, SHO Sharae Faisal Police Station.

“His 13-year-old nephew, who accompanied him to school, is heavily traumatized.” The officer said that the victim was shot five times with .30 bore pistol and the police have recovered three empty shells. The empties were sent to the Forensic Division of the Sindh Police for ballistics cross matching.

The police have also obtained closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident. The suspects were wearing helmets, black trousers and uppers. One of them was seen firing at the vehicle towards the driver. The target killers seemed professionals; they shot the victim repeatedly at a point blank range, killing him on the spot.

His body was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center for autopsy. The initial postmortem report suggested that the deceased was shot five times from a small weapon – twice each in his chest and face and once in the shoulder. Following the incident, law enforcers cordoned off the crime scene. Additional IGP Karachi Imran Yaqoob Minhas also visited the crime scene and while giving an initial assessment told the media persons that it seemed to be a ‘planned attack’. The modus operandi does not seem to match with the behaviour of street criminals as the attackers appeared relaxed, were in no haste and repeatedly loaded the pistol to fire at the victim. The investigation is underway to ascertain the actual motive behind the incident, CCPO Minhas said.

The police said detailed investigations were underway. The deceased had gone to drop off his son to the school from where he was trailed by the assassins on a motorcycle, they said and added that corroborating CCTV footage from different locations were obtained. The Crime Scene Unit of the police, which had cordoned off the crime scene, said that two armed motorcyclists used a .30 calibre hand gun to kill the victim. The target killers seemed professionals, who attacked the victim calmly from the right side of the car. The car of the deceased was shifted to Sharae Faisal Police Station. No forensics of the car were conducted as no bullet mark was found on the car. No case could be registered till the filing of this news story.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Khurram Sher Zaman strongly condemned the incident. He said 28 MNAs and MPAs have staged a protest at the office of the IGP Sindh. “Lawlessness is on rise and in a matter of few weeks Nazim Johkio, Fahmida Siyal and Sakhawat Rajput were killed,” he said. Reacting to the tragic incident, the lawyers’ fraternity boycotted proceedings at the City Courts. Strongly condemning the incident, senior lawyer of the Karachi Bar Council Naeem Qureshi termed it an act of targeted killing.

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, while taking a serious note of the target killing of the secretary Sindh Bar Council, increasing incidents of street crimes and selling of contraband like Mainpuri, Gutka, betel nuts convened an emergency meeting to chalk out a strategy to control the worsening security situation. The meeting was attended by Adviser Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Adl IG Karachi Imran Yakoob, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, SSP South Zubair Shaikh and others.

The CM said that the targeted killing of SBC Council Member, Irfan Maher, was a very painful incident. “I want you to arrest the killers and bring them to book,” he directed the Additional IGP Karachi. Shah also directed the city police chief to activate his SSPs to launch targeted operations against drug dealers, street criminals and other outlaws. “The growing street crime incidents have stirred a wave of insecurity and fear among the people of the city,” he said and added he had restored law and order in the city with the support of Karachiites and again he wanted the police to strategise combing out outlaws and bring them to book.

He also directed the police to undertake operations against street criminals, members of drug mafia and enforce ban on the sale of Gutka, Mainpuri, Mawa and other contraband. Shah directed the SSP South to start a crackdown on street criminals in his district. The police chief assured the chief minister of good results to restore the confidence of the people.