Boy wearing ‘monster mask’ shot by guard in Karachi
The Newspaper's Staff Reporter
Published
March 21, 2016
KARACHI: An 11-year-old boy, wearing ‘monster mask’, was shot dead by a security guard in Ferozabad area on Sunday night, according to police.
They said that Ali Hasan was shot at and wounded by the guard on Amir Khusro Road. He suffered critical injuries and was taken to Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre where doctors declared him dead. The boy received bullet wounds in his head, said Dr Seemin Jamali, head of the emergency department.
The suspect has been taken into custody.
SSP Investigation Zulfiqar Mahar told Dawn that the initial investigation had suggested that the guard was panicked and shot and killed the boy.
Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2016
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (50) Closed
Ali jee
Mar 21, 2016 12:07pm
Wow didn't he see how tall the boy was he shooting u can tell the size of the guy or boy even if u can't see the face u got to be very brave in this kind of job u doing in Pakistan u can't just shoot people
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Dr. Farooq Khan
Mar 21, 2016 12:19pm
What if some terrorist comes wearing a veil? Reality is that we have no solution to such suicide attacks.
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mano
Mar 21, 2016 12:50pm
I don't blame the guard. The blame lies on our society as a whole in creating this tense atmosphere.
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MSK
Mar 21, 2016 12:59pm
Unfortunate incident but the reality is that most suicide bombers are young boys in their early teens. So the guard has taken a preemptive measure keeping in view the overall security situation of the country.
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Ahmed
Mar 21, 2016 01:00pm
Pathetic training of security guards.
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atif
Mar 21, 2016 01:01pm
@mano very right....but it has nothing to do with being thought of him as terrorist.
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HMR
Mar 21, 2016 01:17pm
Superstitious believes
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Farooq
Mar 21, 2016 01:23pm
The security firm should be immediately blacklisted and criminally prosecuted for providing weapons to untrained monsters. There should be compulsory training verifications by government agencies of all private guards . This monster should be given exemplary punishment . The probability of a common man getting killed by untrained guards and security personal is increasing everyday as compared to getting killed by some terrorist.
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adnan
Mar 21, 2016 01:28pm
@Ahmed pathetic training of the child also!
nothing wrong with this
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Naxalite
Mar 21, 2016 01:38pm
@mano specially the Karachi silent majority is to blame who did nothing to undo MQM's forced reign.
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alpha
Mar 21, 2016 01:58pm
the guard was right to respond..i am sorry for the unfortunate boy..but in current situation we have to empower our guards so that they can protect us..
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Sarah
Mar 21, 2016 02:01pm
Killed an innocent boy just wearing a mask while leaving all the real monsters (without a mask) free ! how lame.
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Kaunjee
Mar 21, 2016 02:13pm
What's a monster mask???
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Sidd
Mar 21, 2016 02:28pm
How many real suicide bombers were wearing masks and attacked a lonely security guard? Very rightly said by Ali Jee that the people doing guard or other similar duties should be courageous enough to sense the actual situation.
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Imran
Mar 21, 2016 02:42pm
Security guards of normal locations like this are never heard of even firing a bullet in a threatening situation, here the guard seems disturbed by a boy and knowing he can inflict damage to unarmed, Guard pulled the trigger.
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Merchant
Mar 21, 2016 02:44pm
Very sad and tragic incidences like this will keep on happening unless we snatch firearms from EVERYONE except the police and military. These firearms are the biggest curse of our society and should be very strictly limited.
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SAEED MASOOD
Mar 21, 2016 02:56pm
Very very sad...the poor boy and the family...Now the guard will be at the mercy of the police.
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Baaligh
Mar 21, 2016 02:57pm
But where was the guard posting ? At a bank branch ? A shop ? house ?Where ? And what caused the guard to panic ? Simple sight of the boy ?or did the boy approach the guard ?
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Ali Dublin
Mar 21, 2016 03:11pm
Not much info given. What exactly happened. Did the guard warn him. Why didn't the guard shot him on the leg, why head.
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Adnan
Mar 21, 2016 04:05pm
See the confidence of security guard he failed to differentiate between monster and kid.
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Javed Arshad
Mar 21, 2016 04:26pm
Guarding someone else's life while putting one's own at stake is a tense and risky job. Nobody would voluntarily like to do it. The loss of boy's life is saddening but I would not blame the guard who is supposed to respond to terror and scare instantaneously. My sympathies are with boy's family but is there a fault on the part of the guard is open to question.
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Justwasif
Mar 21, 2016 04:30pm
Sad.. Just sad for all of us, guard is not responsible but the security company who hire totally un educated guards on very low salary.
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Mujtaba
Mar 21, 2016 04:33pm
A society where fear is treated as commodity, this incident is pretty much justified. Guard is not to blame.
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Justwasif
Mar 21, 2016 04:53pm
Very sad
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susheel
Mar 21, 2016 05:04pm
I have never heard of a terrorist wearing a monster mask .children do often wear it.it seems the guard was a coward who panicked at the sight of the mask.what a shame , an innocent boy lost his life for his playful behavior. Terrorism in the country can not be justification for such a cowardly act.
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The Observer
Mar 21, 2016 05:19pm
Had seen interview of the guard on some channel, as per guard he had no prior training.
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ahmad
Mar 21, 2016 05:19pm
This is so tragic. don't have any other words to describe my thoughts. My heart and prayers goes out the family.
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Philosopher (from Japan)
Mar 21, 2016 05:32pm
Most security guards don't know how to operate fire arms if you get them panicked fatal casualty is certain.
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xpakistani
Mar 21, 2016 06:16pm
Most unfortunate incident, may he rest in peace. Parents should warn kids from doing such things, because guards can have very edgy nerves in the prevailing law and order situation in the country.
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mastani
Mar 21, 2016 06:36pm
The security is damn scared, they don't know what to do.
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sohail
Mar 21, 2016 06:40pm
@adnan aren't kids supposed to wear mask?
was the kid holding a gun or wearing suicide jacket?
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aha
Mar 21, 2016 07:23pm
A very unfortunate incident. Given the tensions within our society, such tragedies will happen, unfortunately.
Sympathies to the family of the deceased.
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AKB
Mar 21, 2016 08:40pm
The cowards always get into panic and kill innocent people. Such people should not be employed on the security duties.
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flipflop
Mar 21, 2016 10:06pm
This shows that not every other person can become a guard or at least wield a gun. Did he get training to be a guard or at least some sort of training ?
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Irfan Baloch
Mar 21, 2016 10:11pm
very tragic incident. sadly many civilians have lost lives in such instances.
in real terror attacks the terrorists don't give chance to the guards.
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S. I. Rafiq
Mar 21, 2016 11:23pm
@Baaligh Good Point!
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syed
Mar 21, 2016 11:49pm
When you have armed security guards protecting your mosques, markets, schools, shops and almost everything coupled with the sense of insecurity, then these kind of accidents will occur.
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Tarannum S
Mar 21, 2016 11:55pm
In an era when even kids are being hired for terrorism, the guard may have went out of reason. Sad incident. RIP little one.
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Abid Hafeez
Mar 22, 2016 12:13am
Judiciary is reqiested to very carefully do the trial. Do not punish the guard if he didn't do it with some bad intensions but punish is very badly if he is found guilty.
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AG
Mar 22, 2016 03:00am
@Dr. Farooq Khan They don't wear mask, they wear suicide jackets and do you really think those guards can stop a terrorist?
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Ordinary Citizen
Mar 22, 2016 03:05am
Greatest smpathy and deepest condolences to the youngster's family. Very unfortunate incident. Meanwhile I am thinking of poor security guard who had to suffer the consequences of a poor decision made in implse reaction. Hopefully some one will help this poor chap to get the justice, instead of revenge.
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AG
Mar 22, 2016 03:08am
whoever blaming the child, they may don't have one
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Murtaza
Mar 22, 2016 03:51am
Whose guard was he? The person's keeping guard shall be punished as well for ill act of the guard they have kept. Its them who create pressure and give such instruction to them.
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AdHawk
Mar 22, 2016 06:02am
When was the last time you heard of a security guard actually shooting a bad guy?
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Akil Akhtar
Mar 22, 2016 06:46am
In the west they have banned plastic replica guns as they can lead to misunderstandings...we need to train our people also on how to behave in these difficult times and help the security agencies not make their life difficult....But unfortunately we do not have the concept of responsibilities of the citizens.
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ali
Mar 22, 2016 06:46am
how ignorant can one get? these security guard are poorly trained.
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Mujib
Mar 22, 2016 07:36am
Put yourself in that situation and then post non sense comments
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Jamal Khawer
Mar 22, 2016 09:55am
OOOOOO. It hurts. I am in tears.
We are at fault. Poor kid.
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MUMTAZ SHAH
Mar 22, 2016 10:07am
It is a great tragedy .We pray for the departed soul.God may give strength the bereaved family to bear irreparable loss.( MUMTAZ SHAH Texas )
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Buzdar
Mar 22, 2016 03:14pm
I think, the guard responded accordingly without knowing who's behind the veil? Its duty of parents/elders to guide their children not to prank armed guards keeping in view the current law n order situation of the country.
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