KARACHI, Dec 5: Three assailants shot dead a prayer leader inside a mosque in Sector 5-C of New Karachi on Wednesday evening.

One of the assailants who was caught by area people when trying to flee told police he worked for the Taliban and killed the Peshimam because the latter was an ‘informer’.

According to police, three suspects who arrived on a motorcycle walked into Jamia Masjid Islamia Ahl-i-Hadith within the remit of the Bilal Colony police station and killed Peshimam Ahsanullah, 38.

The victim was shot with a single bullet to the head causing his instant death, said police.

The assailants were trying to escape but their motorcycle failed to kick-start. The area people who had gathered outside after hearing the gunshot managed to overpower one of them. The other two managed to flee, said police.

People handed over the suspect to police. The suspect who gave his name as Kashif was first taken to the Bilal Colony police station but was immediately shifted to another location fearing his presence might cause trouble, said New Karachi SP Syed Salman Hussain. A little later, the fears were proved right as a large number of people laid a virtual siege to the police station, demanding the suspect be brought before them, said the SP.

Because of the sensitivity of the situation, DIG-West Javed Odho held a press conference on Wednesday night and made public the information obtained from the suspect.

He said the suspect had confessed to killing the Peshimam who he said was an ‘informer’. He told police that he had undergone 21-day militant training at a camp in Mansehra and was getting Rs15,000 a month.

The suspect said he was working for Taliban and was in touch with them in Waziristan. Initially, he gave different names but was finally identified as Mohammad Kashif alias Bilal, said the DIG.

Police shifted the Peshimam’s body to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Man killed by robbers

A man was gunned down by assailants in Khudadad Colony on the Shahrah-i-Qaideen on Wednesday afternoon.

Police said that Tanveer Bangash, 24, was standing outside a car showroom when the assailants riding a motorcycle targeted him. They managed to escape after the shooting, police said.

The victim was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival. He had suffered two gunshot wounds in the head and neck, police said.

“The victim was killed while resisting a snatching bid. The suspects took away his pistol, cellphone and other valuable belongings,” said Jamshed Town SP Asad Raza.

The deceased who worked as a cash delivery man for an auto showroom had a criminal record, said the SP.

In 2005 and 2007, he had killed two men within the jurisdiction of the Soldier Bazaar and Ferozeabad police stations, respectively, he added.

The victim was resident of Balti Mohallah Lines Area, police said.

However, a handout issued by the Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen stated that Bangash was an active member of Anjuman Sadeqan Bangash Karachi and also a security coordinator of mosques and Imambargahs in Lines Area and Abyssinia Lines.

Bangash had survived a similar attack about three months ago, said the statement quoting his brother.

The deceased has left one-year-old baby and a widow. His funeral prayer was offered at the Numaish intersection and later he was buried in the Wadi-i-Hussain graveyard.

Security guard gunned down

A private security guard was gunned down when he was performing duty outside a private bank within the remit of the Boat Basin police station on Wednesday.

Police said the guard identified as Feroz Khan, 55, was killed by armed men who managed to escape after the shooting and suspected the killing was the result of a personal enmity.

The victim belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. His body was shifted to the JPMC for a post-mortem examination.