KARACHI - A retired Pakistan Navy officer was shot dead and three others sustained bullet wounds when some armed men ambushed a mosque in Orangi Town on Sunday.
The incident took place at Khyber Masjid located near Banaras Flyover within the premises of Pirabad Police Station. The deceased identified as retired chief petty officer Ali Yar Khan was the target of the assailants; however, 10-year-old Ahmed Ishaaq, Attaullah Khan and Shahid Yaqoob also sustained injuries in the attack.
According to eyewitnesses, as the prayer was underway, three armed assailants resorted indiscriminate firing. Police said that deceased Ali Yar Khan used to live at Qasba Colony in Orangi Town and associated with a private company in Defence since after his retirement. He was shot multiple times and died on the spot while three other injured were hurried to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital medical treatment.
After completing their task, the assailants tried to escape from the scene. Before they could manage to flee, the worshipers immediately responded and tried to catch them. “Two of them managed to escape on their motorcycle, leaving their third man behind,” says one of the witnesses, Kashif Naeem. He further said that the accused also opened fire at the mob while fleeing. However, the mob continued to chase managed to arrest him at the end. The accused was also beaten up by the mob before handing over to the police.
This is not the first incident to have occurred in the city, particularly in Orangi Town in which the culprits targeted and killed the serving and retired personnel of Pakistan Navy, Air Force and Army.
The held accused was later identified as Wahid Dad, son of Fazal Dad, an afghan origin. Police investigators said that Wahid is associated with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Despite the ongoing targeted operation by law enforcement agencies in the city, Lyari once again turned into a battlefield that claimed the lives of at least three people.
Different areas of Lyari turned into war zones on Sunday where the law enforcement agencies including Rangers and police seemingly failed to overpower the criminal elements. The gang war between two notorious groups – Baba Ladla and Uzair Baloch once again hit the vicinity with excessive gunfire and hand-grenades attacks, but police and Rangers were unable to control the unrest.
In the fresh wave of attacks on each other by the gangsters, three people were killed and at least three others wounded. The deceased were identified as 60-year-old Jamal Nasir, 16-year-old Hussain and 28-year-old Abdul Jabbar, while the injured as Shahbaz, Hassan and Nawaz Sharif. The bodies and injured were moved to Civil Hospital, Karachi and Lyari General Hospital for autopsy and medical treatment. The deceased and injured persons were believed to be the innocent citizens.
As the law enforcers remained unsuccessful to control the ongoing violence, they were even unaware about the death toll. “We are stuck among the people,” says Lyari DSP Zulfiqar. “Even we had no idea about how many people have been killed so far and their identities.” The residents remained indoors the whole day while shops and businesses also remained closed due to the deteriorating situation.
Meanwhile, a rickshaw driver namely Khair Zaman Mehsood was shot dead at Gul Goth. Police said the deceased was on his way when unidentified armed men shot him dead. The body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for autopsy and later handed over his heirs.