KARACHI, June 25: The Civil Hospital’s emergency ward remained closed for over an hour on Saturday following manhandling of doctors, paramedical staff and ransacking of the ward by relatives of a fatality case. In charge of the medico-legal section, Civil Hospital Karachi, Dr Kaleem Shaikh told Dawn that a fire arm case was brought from the limits of Risala police station. The victim, Moosa, 53, had suffered a bullet wound in the neck and he was pronounced dead on arrival. As per routine, the body was shifted to the mortuary for post-mortem.

Dr Shaikah said that some people accompanying the body claimed that Moosa was still alive and they brought back the body to the emergency ward. Subsequently, duty doctors tried to pacify the relatives saying that the victim was already dead when he was brought to the hospital, there was nothing much doctors could do. However, the relatives reacted by manhandling the doctors and paramedics. They hurled abuses to doctors and ransacked the emergency ward, he said.

CHK’s Medical Superintendent Dr Saeed Qureshi said that the emergency ward had to be closed down for about an hour because the entire ward was turned upside down and routine work could not be carried out. However, the emergency cases were provided treatment, he added.

A duty officer of the Risala police station said that Moosa, 53, was a lifter driver- and was present at the James Terrace Road near Parker Iron Shop when unknown persons on a motorcycle pulled up and opened fire at him. He was taken to the Civil Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Police suspected that the killing was related to an ongoing mosque dispute in the area. The victim was said to be in one of the groups fighting over the possession of mosque in Nanakwara, they added.

Following the killing, reports of stone pelting were received from the Merewether Tower and Kharadar.