KARACHI: ST activist shot dead

Published April 24, 2008

KARACHI, April 23: Panic and tension gripped a Bengali-speaking people neighbourhood in Korangi late on Tuesday night after a 24-year-old activist of Sunni Tehreek was gunned down by at least four attackers, witnesses and police said.

The ST said Amir Hakeem was the party’s unit in charge in Bilal Colony, Korangi, and he was shot dead at Bengali Mohalla late in the night.

It said the victim had received death threats by political rivals who did not want the ST man to carry on party activities in the area.

The ST said the victim had reported his apprehensions to the area police who, however, did not take any action in this regard.

The body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where sources said the victim received at least four bullet wounds in his upper torso from a very close range as two bullets went through his body.

Later, the victim’s brother Ameer Hussain lodged an FIR for the murder of his brother and named Rambo and Wali Mohammed Pathan among the unknown number of attackers.

A Korangi police official said no arrest was so far made, though the police were making hectic efforts to track down the suspects.

Two carjackers killed

Two bandits, who were on the run after snatching a car from a policeman at gunpoint, were killed in a shootout with their victim and a police patrol in Federal B Area.

DSP Ijaz Hashmi of Azizabad, who is also holding charge of SP of Gulberg, told Dawn that Aqeel Abbasi, recovery manager in KESC, was driven in his Alto car (AQQ-012) to his house in Block 12 around 4.30pm.

He said his driver, Mohammed Nadim Rana who was also a constable of KESC police, was waiting for Mr Abbasi in the car when two bandits held him hostage at gunpoint and snatched from him his wallet, mobile phone and car keys.

The DSP said constable Rana was armed with a pistol and he opened fire on the bandits as they moved towards the vehicle.

“In the meantime, a passing police party on a motorcycle also appeared on the scene as the fleeing dacoits returned fire of constable Rana,” he added.

DSP Hashmi said the two policemen on the bike also took positions and fired at the suspect. “One of the dacoits died instantly and the other who was fatally wounded died while he was being shifted to the hospital,” he added.

The police officer said that constable Rana was also slightly injured in the shootout.

The bodies and the injured policeman were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Sources said both of the suspected dacoits received multiple bullet wounds in their upper torso and legs.

They said the constable received a slight injury in his feet and he was discharged from the hospital after necessary medical treatment.

Gulberg police said two TT pistols were seized from the suspects, one of whom was identified as Mushtaq, son of Ghulam Rasool, hailing from Jacobabad.

The bodies were later kept at the Edhi morgue.

Accident

A 16-year-old boy was killed and his elder associate was seriously injured in an accident near Punjab Chowrangi on Wednesday, APP adds.

Waqar and 40-year-old Najmuddin were on motorcycle when a truck hit them. The injured was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. He is stated to be in critical condition.

Ambulance attacked

An Edhi ambulance driver was injured when some armed men opened fire on the vehicle near Baloch Colony.

According to the Edhi Foundation, driver Azeem was on call to take a patient from Gulbai to hospital. As the ambulance (EA-2209) entered the area, four armed men opened fire on the vehicle.

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