KARACHI, June 29: An auto workshop owner and his worker were killed in an armed attack on their shop in a Sohrab Goth area on Wednesday that also left another mechanic at the workshop wounded, police said.

The police claimed that they had identified the suspects who were “professional criminals” and allegedly killed 52-year-old Mehtab Rashid and his 23-year-old worker Muhammad Nasir for just refusing to do some repair work of their motorbike free of charges a couple of days ago.

They said that the person wounded in the firing was 20-year-old Muhammad Tariq, the younger brother of deceased Muhammad Nasir.

The police said that the wounded victim had identified the attackers and shared with police some information and reasons behind the incident.

“Mr Mehtab had an auto workshop named Al-Nafay Autos near Al-Asif Square in Sohrab Goth,” said DSP Iftikhar Lodhi, the area’s supervisory police officer (SPO).

“He had employed two mechanics, who were brothers, at his workshop eight to nine years ago. A couple of days back, a known criminal of the area, Sher Zaman, allegedly came to their shop with his accomplices and asked them to repair his bike free of charges.”

The situation led to heated arguments from both sides and a scuffle broke out. Sher Zaman returned with his accomplices threatening Mehtab with dire consequences,” he added.

“On Wednesday afternoon, Sher Zaman with his two accomplices allegedly arrived at the workshop. Two of the three riders fired multiple shots at Mehtab and the brother mechanics inside the workshop before speeding away from the scene,” said DSP Lodhi.

He said that the firing left all the three in the workshop wounded and they were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Mehtab and Nasir died, while Tariq was admitted for treatment.

Mehtab was a resident of Al-Asif Square and the father of three while the two victim brothers lived in Ayub Goth in New Karachi and originally hailed from Bahawalpur.

“We are waiting for a formal complaint from the wounded victim to register an FIR against Sher Zaman and his two accomplices who have been identified as Najeeb Irani and Saeed Jan,” added DSP Lodhi.