KARACHI, July 7: A woman, whose elder son was allegedly shot dead by some land grabbers in March 2006, has expressed fears for the life of her younger son who is also receiving threats by the same people.

Speaking at a press conference here on Friday at the Karachi Press Club, Ishrat Begum said that her slain son Arshad Chohan used to organise a “bachat bazaar” in Landhi No 5-1/2 with the due permission of the city government. But the bazaar was forcibly taken over by Azeem Mota, applications in this connection were submitted to the CCPO, Landhi Town nazim and Landhi TPO, but to no avail, Ishrat Begum said. After submission of the applications with the concerned offices, Arshad Chohan started receiving death threats and on March 8, 2006, Arshad was shot dead at a clinic in Manzoor Colony by the same group of Azeem Mota and Fareed, she alleged.

An FIR was lodged at the Baloch Colony police station; however, the members of the mafia continued to occupy the bazaar.

Ishrat Begum alleged that the killers of her son continue to roam freely in the Landhi Town under the patronage of the Landhi police station SHO, Sohaib Qureshi, and TPO Landhi.

She said that the town police were biased in favour of the members of the mafia who had given death threats to her younger son Shahzad Chohan as well.

An FIR pertaining to these threats was lodged at the Landhi police station, but the police are trying to prove this FIR as fake, Ishrat Begum alleged.

With the help of the SHO Landhi police station, Fareed has also lodged a fake counter FIR, she claimed.

Ishrat Begum urged the government to take steps to protec her son and arrest the alleged killers of her elder son. She also demanded of the high-ups to take action against those police officials who are patronising the criminals.