KARACHI, April 4: Provincial police chief Syed Kamal Shah has observed that the premises of Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station was attacked because of its being a 'soft target'.
Commenting on the Sunday morning's raid by terrorist which left five policemen dead and another injured, the IGP said: "We have 37 similar police stations housed in temporary set-ups."
Police are targeted for their good policing and performance in maintaining law and order, he remarked. There is very remote possibility of a personal vendetta, involving the police station or its staff, being a motive for the raid, he said.
Meanwhile, police have found a car believed to be used by attackers in the pre-dawn attack. The car (AB-9683) was spotted abandoned near Liaquat Market, in the limits of Saudabad police station on Sunday evening. It was taken away by outlaws from the possession of a private bank official, Mohammad Anwer, in Bahadurabad on Saturday night.
TPO of Gulshan Town Abdul Khaliq Shaikh told Dawn that the car's windowpanes were broken, apparently in shooting. Blood stains were also spotted beneath the car's seats, according to police.
He pointed out that some vehicles belonging to the attackers had entered the police station, probably to move their fellows out. Investigators believe that more than three vehicles were used in the attack.
Police, with the help of eyewitnesses, have prepared sketches of those who had snatched the vehicle. TPOs of different towns have ordered a beefed up security for police stations and personal safety of police personnel while patrolling or travelling.
BODIES: Bodies of the three policemen, killed in the attack, were on Sunday sent to their native towns following funeral prayers at the Garden Headquarters and Rizvia Society in the afternoon.
SI Umeed Ali Mirani's body was sent to Shikarpur, and those ofSarfraz and Ashfaq to Sargodha and Attock, respectively. Ismail's body was laid to rest in Paposhnagar graveyard whereas George Ghulam's body has been kept at the Edhi Morgue pending funeral on Monday, police said. George resided in Cantonment Bazaar, Sharea Faisal.
The Namaz-i-Janaza for the deceased policemen was attended by the Adviser to the CM on Home Affairs Aftab Shaikh, IGP Syed Kamal Shah, CCPO Asad Ashraf Malick, DIG Operations and other senior police officials and jawans. A cash reward of Rs1 million has been announced for anyone providing a clue to the attackers.
Head-constable Mohammad Hasan Jatoi, who was injured in the attack, has been promoted to the rank of ASI. The Sindh government has also announced a compensation of Rs0.3 million for the families of each deceased policeman and Rs 50,000 for the injured head-constable. Hasan Jatoi would also be given another amount of Rs50,000 as reward for his gallantry.
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