KARACHI: Amid tears and mourning, Syed Ali Raza Abidi, a former MNA and leader of a faction of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, who was assassinated on Tuesday evening, was laid to rest on Wednesday, when police investigators claimed to have found that a pistol used in the attack on him was used only two weeks back in a killing in Liaquatabad.

Although the police called it a crucial link to set the course of the probe, the key question about the motive for the assault remained unanswered as a surge in killings and violent incidents, mainly on political grounds, in recent weeks, has started fanning fears in Karachiites enjoying peace following the targeted operation in the city.

Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of the slain Abidi were held at Imambargah Yasrab in Defence Housing Authority. The prayers, led by Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi, were attended by a large number of people, including leaders and workers of almost all political parties, members of civil society, social workers and human rights activists.

Forensic analysis shows one of the two pistols was used in a Liaquatabad murder on Dec 10

‘Motive for the crime not clear’

While sharing initial findings of the probe, Raja Umar Khattab of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) between the lines made it clear that the officials had only got a clue about the killer, but not the motive for the crime and its mastermind.

“Two pistols were used in the attack on Mr Abidi,” said Mr Khattab. “We have received the forensic analysis of the spent bullet casings found at the crime scene. The report says that one of the 30-bore pistols was used in the murder of a man named Ehtisham in Liaquataba on Dec 10. The area police in the Dec 10 case have already made some headway while probing the killing and we would definitely utilise their findings as well while probing this [Mr Abidi’s murder] case.”

The 46-year-old Mr Abidi was attacked and killed outside his home in Khayaban-i-Ghazi, DHA, on Tuesday moments after he returned home from work. The CCTV footage later shared by the investigators with the media showed two men on a motorbike emerged in the scene chasing Mr Abidi’s vehicle and one of them got off the two wheelers and fired multiple shots at him at a very close range the moment he stopped his four-wheeler at the entrance to his house.

While the police stayed cautious while sharing details about the motive for Tuesday’s killing, leaders of political parties, including factions of the MQM, expressed their thoughts that had already raised eyebrows of many and fears in the people of the city where the peace returned in 2015 after decades of violence on ethnic, political and sectarian grounds.

‘Part of conspiracy to sabotage peace’

“It’s a part of an organised conspiracy to sabotage the city peace,” said federal minister for IT and senior leader of the MQM-Pakistan Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. “After a bomb attack on MQM-P leaders in Dec 8 we have made a written request to the Sindh chief minister for improved security of our leaders and warned that something was cooking against the city peace. But, unfortunately, it wasn’t taken seriously.”

While leaders of all other political parties and dignitaries agreed to Mr Siddiqui’s observation about a conspiracy to attack the city peace while talking to the media after the funeral prayers, seasoned parliamentarian Syed Sardar Ahmad, who quit the MQM-P, earlier this month shared a few facts about the recent activities of the slain Abidi after resigning from the basic membership of the MQM.

“He was in fact trying to unite all faction of the MQM,” he said. “He was in agreement with my thought that all the factions of the MQM must unite and streamline their political struggle for the betterment of the city and for the peace of the city. Even we had made some attempts together and he was even striving for it on his own. It’s everyone’s loss.”

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2018