KARACHI, April 6: Three persons, including a former sector in charge of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, were shot dead and two others were wounded by assailants in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Wednesday evening. “Three men were having tea at Quetta Hotel situated beneath the Empire Centre at Jauhar Mor when four men wearing helmets walked up to them and opened fire. The firing was carried out in such a manner that all the three died on the spot,” Shah Faisal TPO Athar Rasheed Butt told Dawn.
He said that the assailants had probably parked their motorcycles at a little distance from the hotel and walked up to the hotel to carry out the killing.
Investigation police said that the suspects first hurled abuses at Zeeshan and opened fire at the three victims. Mohammad Zeeshan Khan, 30, alias Shani was an activist of Muttahida, police said adding that two others were identified as Faizullah, 26, owner of the tea shop and Asif Ali, estate agent.
The assailants before fleeing opened fire at the occupants of a neighbouring cell phone shop, who were witness to the entire episode. Bullets pierced through the abdomen of security guard Mumtaz Zahreen, while Zahid, salesman at the shop, suffered a bullet wound in his leg. Both the wounded were rushed to the nearby Darul Sehat hospital. After first aid, they were referred to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for further treatment. According to the police, Zeeshan had recently shifted to Gulistan-i-Jauhar from Liaquatabad. He had returned from Dubai six months back and had a daughter, police added. Sources said that the suspects took away .9mm pistol from the possession of Zeeshan. In addition, they crushed his cell phone before making their escape.
Following the incident, serious traffic jam was witnessed at the busy intersection.
It may be pertinent to mention that exactly a year back, on April 6, three activists of Muttahida were killed and one was wounded in a clash between two groups of the same faction in a residential complex — Raza Square — on Rashid Minhas Road opposite Aladin Park. Those killed were identified as Jawwad, Sharjeel, and Tehseen alias Mamoo. Faisal Mughal suffered bullet wounds and was shifted to a hospital. All were in the mid 20s, the police added.
A senior police official at that time had said that four activists of the party were sitting inside the residential complex when five armed men scaled the wall and jumped inside the complex. They approached the group sitting on the benches inside the complex and opened indiscriminate fire. The assailants later fled. Witnesses had told the police that the assailants were also affiliated with the Muttahida.
The police sources said that a lingering dispute over the illegal possession on an apartment in the same complex ended on the deadly clash.
Investigators told Dawn that Wednesday’s incident occurred on the first death anniversary of the three victims of Raza square incident.
