KARACHI, Dec 17: A young volunteer associated with the polio immunisation campaign was shot dead on the city outskirts in Gadap Town on Monday in a third such attack in the area on polio workers this year.

The three-day polio campaign, which began on Monday, was stopped in Sohrab Goth’s union council 4 following the killing.

Earlier in July 2012, a local paramedic associated with the polio vaccination was shot dead and a World Health Organisation doctor, Fosten Dido, from Ghana along with his driver were wounded in two separate attacks in the Sohrab Goth area.

On Monday evening, the police said, Umer Farooq Mehsud, 30, was passing through Khadim Solangi Goth while returning home on his motorcycle when he was targeted.

The polio drive volunteer sustained a gunshot in the chest and died while being shifted to a nearby private hospital, said an official at the Sohrab Goth police station.

DIG (east) Shahid Hayat said: “A single bullet was fired at the victim which is not the signature of the Taliban”. However, he did not fix its responsibility on anyone.

The volunteer was reportedly heading home at around 5pm after completing the day’s activity in Gadap Town, the officer said. Meanwhile, according to the Sindh EPI director, the immunisation drive will resume on Tuesday in all the union councils of Sohrab Goth.

MWM man gunned down

A Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen worker was killed and his friend was wounded in Orangi Town No 5, said the area police and an MWM spokesman.

The officials said that the two friends, Ali Raza Muzzamil, 21, and Farhan Faisal, were heading to work on a motorcycle when they came under attack on Shahrah-i-Orangi within the remit of the Orangi Town police station.

The wounded were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where Ali Raza was pronounced dead while his friend Farhan Faisal was admitted for treatment.

Both victims worked at a tea company. The victim was a resident of Habib Bank Quarters in Orangi Sector 11½, the police said.

The police quoted family sources as saying said that the victim was unmarried and the only son of his parents.

Following the incident, tension gripped the locality.

The victim’s funeral was attended by a large number of residents at Muhammadi Imambargah.

Condemning the ‘sectarian’ killing, the MWM spokesman said that there was no let-up in ongoing sectarian killings in the city.

An over-two-day sit-in staged by the MWM along with other Shia organisations against frequent sectarian killings ended only on Sunday morning after the governor had assured them of credible measures to stop the targeted attacks.

DIG (west) Javed Odho said the motive for the killing was not clear.

Man shot dead in Landhi

A hakim was shot dead in Landhi on Monday night, police said.

They added that Jawwad Hussain Bhatti was shot dead at his clinic near Future Colony Mor. The body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Following the medico-legal formalities, the body was taken to the Imambargah Shaheedan-i-Karbala, Landhi.

The police said investigation was under way to ascertain a motive for the killing.

The MWM spokesman said that the victim was a ‘Zakir’.

Man killed in attack on ANP office

A man was killed and another wounded when an office of the Awami National Party in a Sachal locality was attacked late Monday night.

Police said the incident took place in Sikandar Goth within the remit of the Sachal police station, where assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire on the office and fled.

The two men were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where a man identified as Malik Tanveer was pronounced dead on arrival while Tora aka Majeed was admitted for treatment.

Police said Tanveer was not associated with the ANP. He was a resident of Orangi Town and had come to see someone there.

However, Tora was an activist of the party.

Following the incident tension gripped the locality and shops and markets were closed.

Robbers kill trader

A trader was killed during a robbery bid in Shershah, police said.

They added that the incident took place near Pankha Hotel where armed men snatched a motorcycle from Agha Rasheed, 45, within the remit of the Shershah police station. During the snatching, the victim tried to resist prompting the gunmen to fire at him, the police said. The robbers took away the two-wheeler while fleeing, the officials said.

The victim died while being taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi, they said.

The police said the victim, a resident of Frontier Colony, dealt in second-hand clothes at Lunda Bazaar.

‘Bandit’ killed

An alleged bandit was killed in what officials described as an encounter with police in North Nazimabad.

The police said that the fire was exchanged in Block-M within the remit of the North Nazimabad police station.

They said two bandits riding a motorcycle tried to intercept a minibus, but when it sped away they opened fire on the vehicle drawing attention of two policemen patrolling the area. As the police reached the spot, they found the bandits looting an auto-rickshaw. The armed men fired at the police and an exchange of fire ensued, resulting in the death of one of the bandit, while his accomplice escaped.

The police claimed to have seized a pistol from the deceased. They shifted the body to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The victim had not been identified till Monday night.

Teacher attacked

A schoolteacher was shot at and wounded in the old city area, police said.

They added Abid Hussain, 52, was targeted by armed men riding a motorbike within the remit of the Chakiwara police station.

The victim suffered gunshot wounds in the jaw and shoulder. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital Karachi from where he was taken to a private hospital.

The victim was a teacher at a private school in the Chakiwara area.