KARACHI: An army major was gunned down by two motorcycle-riding assailants on Shahra-i-Noorjehan near Sakhi Hasan late on Saturday night, police officials said.

Major Amir Azhar, 45, and a nephew of his were about to get into their vehicle when the assailants accosted them apparently to rob them, but the army officer resisted and they escaped after firing at him, said Shahra-i-Noorjehan SHO Tariq Mehmood.

He sustained a single bullet in the abdomen and was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. The incident occurred at around 1:45am, he added.

The investigators were inquiring into the case which appeared to be the outcome of a robbery attempt, said the SHO.

He said the army major had gone to the area to attend a wedding and was attacked when he was returning home from it late in the night. He was in civil dress, he said.

“The army major’s murder appears to be the result of a mobile phone snatching bid,” said additional inspector general of police, Karachi, Ghulam Qadir Thebo.

He said the officer was going home after attending the ceremony in a nearby marriage hall when the incident occurred.

A special investigation team, led by DIG-West Capt Tahir Naveed has been set up to investigate the case.

MQM man gunned down

An activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was shot dead while another was wounded in a fight between two groups in Quaidabad late on Saturday night, police said on Sunday.

They said Abu Amir and Farid Shamim were fired at and wounded in Majeed Colony when activists of two groups fought over some issue. They were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where doctors declared Amir as dead on arrival.

The incident appeared to be an outcome of a fight between the MQM and a religious party, said a Quaidabad police official.

Meanwhile, a young man was gunned down in Surjani Town on Sunday night, police said.

They said that Umer Fazal was allegedly attacked by Saeed Khan Mehsud and others in Khuda Ki Basti. Police had arrested the suspect and shifted the body to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, they added.

The victim had remained associated with the Awami National Party in the past but had recently joined the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, said Surjani SHO Bashir Ahmed.

The victim originally hailed from Bajaur Agency and he might have been killed over some personal enmity, added the officer.

Prayer leader killed

A prayer leader was gunned down in a suspected targeted attack in the Eidgah area, Ranchhore Line, on Sunday, according to police.

When Faisal Qadri, 38, left Pakistan Masjid after having led the Fajr prayers to meet a friend in the locality, two assailants on a motorcycle attacked him.

He was taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi, where doctors declared him as dead.

It appeared to be an act of targeted killing, said Eidgah SHO Abdul Haq.

The victim belonged to the Deobandi school of thought, added the officer.

His funeral prayer was held at 10am and he was buried in the Mewashah graveyard.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2014