KARACHI, June 2: An activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was gunned down in Orangi Town on Thursday, police said.

They said 40-year-old Sadaqat Hussain was targeted by armed motorcyclists when he was riding home in Sector 11½ within the remit of the Iqbal Market police station in the early hours of the day.

“The armed riders intercepted the victim and fired three shots at him. He died on the spot. The attackers, who used 9mm pistol, sped away. The victim was a known local worker of the MQM,” said SP of Orangi Town Khurram Waris.

He said that the killing appeared to be carried out on political grounds, but also expressed the view that sectarian motives could not be ruled out as a possible reason behind the attack.

“The victim’s body was handed over to his family after medico-legal formalities at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Investigations are under way to determine the exact motive and culprits behind the incident,” added the SP of Orangi Town.

Man killed over ‘family feud’

In a Defence locality, an officer of the Sindh education department was shot dead alleged by his brother-in-law over a family dispute, police said.

They said that 28-year-old Tariq Majeed was driving to the City Courts with his younger brother and an elder sister after leaving their rented house in Qayyumabad.

“As they reached near the Khayaban-i-Ittehad crossing, two men on a motorbike emerged from the rear of their vehicle and fired multiple shots at Majeed,” said SHO of the Gizri police station Inspector Rana Amjed.

“The attackers sped away leaving the victim in a pool of blood. The victim succumbed to his wounds at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre during treatment.”

After medico-legal formalities, the victim’s family approached the police and shared some details that pointed to Muhammad Ahmed Khan Mirani, the brother-in-law of the victim.

“The family hails from Larkana where the victim was posted as an education department officer. He was here with his elder sister for the past few months since she was facing a judicial process over the custody of her two children after having being separated from her husband, Muhammad Ahmed Khan Mirani,” added the SHO.

He said that the victim’s family said that Majeed was under threat from Mirani for supporting his sister to win the custody of her children.

The family a few months ago had submitted an application to the Defence police station complaining about threats from Mirani’s men and requesting police protection, he added.

“We have registered a case (FIR 168/2011) under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code against Mirani and his unidentified aides on a complaint of the victim’s younger brother, Shahid Majeed,” he added.