KARACHI: A man, who had filed a petition in court for the recovery of his estranged ‘wife’ and three daughters, allegedly gunned down the 37-year-old man with whom his wife and the children were living in a flat in a New Town locality on Sunday in front of policemen, officials said.

They added that the police with the petitioner had gone to the flat to arrest the man on a court order to present the petitioner’s wife and his three daughters in court on the next hearing of the case.

“An incident of firing took place within the remit of the New Town police station when the additional SHO Darakhshan went with applicant Sohail Mughal on a court order to arrest Munawar Ali,” said Karachi East SSP Azfar Mahesar.

Gulshan SP Tahir Noorani told media that Sohail Mughal had filed an abduction case of his family against Munawar Ali, which was quashed by the court.

However, the court directed the Darakshan police on Dec 31, 2018 on a petition of the suspect to recover the suspect’s three daughters and wife and present them in court on Jan 17, East SSP Azfar Mahesar said.

The petitioner was present during the last hearing of the case and stated that the “police authorities have not produced the ladies”.

He had urged the court to issue an ‘appropriate action’ against the respondents.

The New Town police officer in whose jurisdiction the incident took place told Dawn that when petitioner Sohail Mughal with the additional SHO of Darakhshan arrived at the apartment in Sharafabad, Munawar Ali was already present at the gate of the multi-storey building.

However, before the police could arrest him, Mughal, who had hidden a 9mm pistol in his shalwar, took out the gun and opened fire on Munawar.

He fired four shots as a result of which Munawar sustained two bullet wounds and was taken by the additional SHO to the Liaquat National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Later, the body was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.

Dr Seemin Jamali, executive director of the hospital, said that Munawar had received two bullet wounds on his chest and abdomen.

The police arrested Sohail Mughal with the pistol and collected spent bullet casings from the crime scene.

The New Town police officer said that neighbours told the police that the suspect’s wife had taken ‘divorce’ from him and was living with Munawar Ali with her three daughters.

The police detained the additional SHO of Darakhshan with other policemen on charges of criminal negligence.

DIG East Amir Farooqi said a murder case would be registered against Sohail Mughal and another case pertaining to criminal negligence against the Darakhshan policemen.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2019