KARACHI: An elderly man was shot dead while his young nephew and a minor grandson sustained wounds in a suspected targeted attack in the Sachal area on Thursday.

In a separate incident, a soldier was gunned down by robbers in their attempt to loot a cash van of the National Logistics Cell (NLC) in the Boat Basin area on Thursday afternoon despite the presence of high security in the metropolis ahead of the final PSL cricket match, officials said.

As Ameer Ali, 70, left his residence in New Rizvia Society in a car and had travelled a short distance, gunmen on a motorcycle apparently waiting for him opened fire on the vehicle on the main road opposite the Memon Medical Institute near Safoora Chowrangi and escaped.

NLC man gunned down by robbers in Clifton

As a result, three persons sustained wounds. They were taken to the nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced Ameer Ali as dead while his nephew, Ali Raza, 28, and grandson, Ali Asghar were admitted for treatment, said Sachal SHO Shakir Ali.

Later on, the deceased’s body was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre to fulfil legal formalities. Additional police surgeon Dr Aijaz Ali Khowaja said the victim sustained three bullet wounds.

“It appeared to be a targeted killing incident linked with sectarianism,” said Malir SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio. He added that the suspects were wearing masks.

LJ reactivated?

Raja Umar Khattab, an official of the police’s Counter-Terrorism Department, said that if it was confirmed that the killing was linked with sectarianism, he apprehended the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi group might have been “reactivated”. Mr Khattab said two LJ factions led by Naeem Bukhari and Asif Chhotu had been “eliminated” owing to which sectarian killings had not taken place in the metropolis for a considerable time.

The CTD official said they were monitoring the prison record to see if suspected sectarian militants had been released who might have established a new cell.

Mr Khattab said the victim, Ameer Ali, had served as a personal assistant to the president of a bank.

He added that the investigators had collected 11 spent bullet casings fired from a 9mm pistol from the crime scene.

Taking notice of the incident, IGP A.D. Khowaja sought a detailed inquiry report from the Malir SSP.

Mr Khowaja ordered that special task be given to police teams to arrest the culprits and coordination be ensured with the police of other districts in the city.

MWM reaction

Confirming that the deceased was a former bank employee, a Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen spokesperson said the incident put a question mark over the performance of the law enforcers at a time when a high alert had been declared in the metropolis ahead of the PSL final in the city. MWM Karachi secretary general Allama Sadiq Jafferi demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

Soldier shot dead in Clifton

A soldier was gunned down while a driver and a cashier sustained bullet wounds during an attempt to loot a cash van belonging to the NLC in Clifton on Thursday afternoon.

Clifton SP Tauqeer Muhammad Naeem told Dawn that as the NLC staff drew Rs2 million from a bank branch in Clifton and were on their way to their office in Sultanabad in the van, gunmen on a two-wheeler intercepted them near the Boat Basin roundabout.

However, on seeing a gun with the NLC men, the robbers became jittery and opened fire on them and fled without looting them.

A police van posted in the area chased the suspects and after an exchange of fire, the robbers escaped.

The three wounded men were shifted to different hospitals, where one of them was pronounced dead during treatment, said the Clifton SP. He added that the victim was “reportedly an army soldier”.

Later on, the body of the deceased identified as Ravez Khan, 32, was brought to the JPMC for a post-mortem examination. He sustained two bullet wounds, said additional police surgeon Dr Sheeraz.

The driver of the NLC cash van, Iftikhar, was also brought for further treatment after first aid at another hospital, said Dr Seemin Jamali, executive director of the JPMC. He received a bullet wound in his shoulder, she added.

Abdul Sattar, 28, stated to be the cashier, was shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment where his condition was out of danger, said police surgeon Dr Aijaz Khokhar.

IGP A.D. Khowaja and Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal took notice of the incident and sought a detailed inquiry report from the South SSP and DIG.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2018