KARACHI: The killing of a young man at his shop in Lyari on Monday led to a protest by his family and the area people who blamed a criminal gang, which they said was still active in the neighbourhood despite the Rangers-led operation, for the incident.

Police said armed men riding a motorbike targeted 28-year-old Jahanzeb at his general store on Maulvi Mohamamd Umer Road in the Kalakot area. The firing caused fear and panic in the busy area. “As the guns fell silent, the young shopkeeper was found in a pool of blood,” said Kalakot SHO Inspector Ayaz Khan.

“The body was later shifted to the Civil Hospital by the area people. The victim, who resided in the neighbourhood, had been running the shop for the past few years. He was very active and social in the area,” the SHO added.

Asked about a suspected motive for the killing, the police officer said it could be the job of any criminal gang operating in the area “over the doubts that Jahanzeb was a police informer. But nothing can be said with authority right now.

“The family and the area people are in a state of shock at present. We will pursue proper investigation after registering an FIR and recording their statements,” said the SHO Kalakot.

The incident sparked protests in parts of Lyari where traders pulled down the shutters and traffic gradually turned thin on roads. The relatives and area people took the body to the Civil Hospital Karachi. They later shifted it to an ambulance and started marching towards CM House in protest against the killing.

The first encounter between the protesters and police was witnessed on M.A. Jinnah Road where the law-enforcement agency could not stop the charged crowd. However, the police, backed by a heavy contingent of the Rangers, finally managed to stop the marchers at the Shaheen Complex traffic intersection. Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road leading to CM House was also closed for traffic. The situation caused gridlock on several roads connecting with I. I. Chundrigarh Road and other parts of the commercial centre.

Hundreds of vehicles were seen stuck in a traffic jam on I. I. Chundrigarh Road, M.R. Kayani Road, Sarwar Shaheed Road, Abdullah Haroon Road, Shahrah-i-Kamal Ataturk, Burnes Road, Shahrah-i-Liaquat and Nicol Road. The police managed to ease traffic congestion two hours later after convincing the protesters to call off their march on the assurance about transparent and speedy investigation into Jahanzeb’s murder.

“We have assured them that the killers will be arrested soon,” said the area’s sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) DSP Anwar Ali Shah.

“The victim had no criminal record. He was not associated with any group or political party. He was a common man but quite social and active in the area.

“The family and the area people have been quite cooperative as they called off the protest on the police assurance,” the officer said.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2016