Gun used in celebratory firing that killed girl found

Police on Tuesday claimed to have recovered the weapon that had cost 10-year-old Madiha her life after it was used for aerial firing at a wedding in Karachi’s Orangi Town neighbourhood during the late hours of Saturday.

Police recovered the weapon on the information provided by the arrested suspect named Shakir Khan, brother of the bridegroom and an alleged member of a political party. The investigation wing of the Pirabad police station has been investigating the case. Officials said the weapon has been sent to the forensic division for analysis.

The incident had taken place near the Maryam Wedding Hall in Orangi Town. Madiha, daughter of Fazal Malik, was a grade-three student. She had two siblings and was a middle child. She was standing on her flat’s balcony to watch the wedding taking place in her neighbours’ flat when a bullet hit and killed her. “We didn’t nominate anyone in the FIR because Allah knows better who’s actually responsible for the incident,” said the victim’s father.

“Multiple weddings were being held in the area, including the one in our neighbour’s flat, and a wedding hall is also close to our house where some 25 to 30 people were continuously firing with Kalashnikovs and pistols.”

Police had taken the victim’s neighbour into their custody. His brother Shafiq’s wedding was being held at their house. Their elder brother named Habibullah is a local leader of a political party.

Toll plaza clash

A senior police official, and his son and driver were wounded during a scuffle with Karachi Toll Plaza staffers over refusal to pay the toll tax.

Gadap City police said SSP Rapid Response Force Saqib Ibrahim, his son Arif, driver Asif and Shabbir Ahmed, an employee of the Toll Plaza, were injured during the scuffle on the night between Monday and Tuesday.

They said the police officer’s driver refused to pay the toll tax, leading to an exchange of heated words and the scuffle. Following the incident, Gadap police reached the toll plaza and brought the situation under control. The injured were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Cop injured

A policeman was wounded due to aerial firing at a wedding in Karachi’s Orangi Town just a couple of days after a 10-year-old girl lost her life in a similar incident.

Twenty-five-year-old Mubashir Khan, son of Yousuf Khan, was injured after a bullet hit him because of aerial firing at a wedding in Madina Colony, which is located in Sector 11 of Orangi Town.

An official of the Mominabad police station said the victim was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Khan is posted at the Samanabad police station. He was attending a wedding in Orangi Town when the incident took place.