KARACHI: Three workers of a nationalist party were shot dead in an attack on Chungi Naka (toll collection point) at Bakra Piri in Malir City on Friday afternoon, police and hospital officials said.

They added that four gunmen on two motorcycles opened fire on the people sitting at the toll collection point and fled.

The victims sustained multiple bullet wounds and were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where doctors pronounced 30-year-old Fatah Mohammed and 38-year-old Javed Majid dead on arrival, said Dr Seemin Jamali, head of the emergency department.

The third wounded man, 35-year-old Aman Chand, a Hindu succumbed to his wounds during treatment soon after arrival. The condition of the fourth one, 35-year-old Zahid, was critical, added Dr Jamali.

“The victims were activists of the Sindh National Party,” said Malir City SHO Imtiaz Niazi.

He claimed that they had started collecting ‘taxes” at the Chungi of Bakra Piri around one week ago.

The officer added that the district municipal council collected taxes from people bringing animals for sale and purchase at the market.

He said he was not in a position to say that they were collecting taxes illegally.

The SHO added that the police were investigating the exact motive for the attack.

However, SNP chief Amir Bhambhro confirmed that the victims were workers of his party.

He said that they were “daily wage earners” at Bakra Piri getting Rs500 each per day.

He said after offering Friday prayers, they were having lunch at the toll collection point when they were targeted.

“It is the responsibility of the police to find out the motive for the attack and identity of the killers,” said the SNP chief.

Suspect killed in ‘encounter’

A suspected drug dealer was shot dead in an ‘encounter’ in the SITE area on Friday afternoon, the police said.

Acting on a tip-off, a police party carried out a targeted raid on a hideout of a notorious drug dealer, popularly known as Nawab Ka Ada, in Pathan Colony, SITE, at around 1.45pm, said SITE SP Fida Hussain Janwari.

On seeing the police, around four to five drug dealers opened fire on the police in their bid to flee; however the police returned fire in which one of the suspects was shot dead, the officer added. Other suspects managed to escape.

The body was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where his identity could not be ascertained immediately.

Meanwhile, additional inspector general of police of Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo announced Rs100,000 award for the police party.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2014