KARACHI: A young man committed self immolation at the Clifton beach, which triggered fear as the place was the same where three workers were brutally murdered a couple of days ago, said officials on Sunday.

Ejaz Khan, 30, resident of Baldia, arrived near Beach View Park, Block-2 of Clifton, at around 9.55am on a motorcycle. He took out petrol from his parked motorcycle and sprinkled it onto himself and set himself on fire.

As the incident occurred at the back of the same park, where three labourers were murdered on Aug 29, some policemen were posted there following the triple murder, and when the saw the fire they rushed to the spot and took him to the Burns Centre of the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, where he died during treatment, said South SSP Sheeraz Nazeer.

The man suffered around 60pc burn wounds.

The SSP added that the deceased had been suffering from emotional problems and had also attempted suicide in recent past, quoting a brother of the deceased as saying.

Another officer, Clifton SHO Pir Shabbir Haider revealed that in his dying statement before doctors, Ejaz Khan said that he was a “sinner and he had committed many sins”. But he did not confess killing the three citizens inside the park on Aug 29, the police clarified. The SHO said that they wondered as to why he travelled from Baldia Town to the Clifton beach to commit suicide.

Probe into the triple murder

South SSP Sheeraz Nazeer said that initial probe into the murder of three citizens inside the beach park revealed that it was not a pre-planned act.

The two heavy stones used in the murder were retrieved from the same place inside the park.

The police officer added that several “mentally-disturbed persons and drug addicts were living inside the park, pavements and near Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine” and their involvement in the triple murder could not be ruled out.

The police detained some ‘homeless’ persons from the adjoining areas for interrogation.

The senior officer added that the third victim had been identified as Khalid Mehmood originally hailing from Ahmedpur Sharqia and resident of Nazimabad. His family members said that the victim worked as a labourer and sometimes did not come back home.

Call to maintain Beach View Park

In the wake of the triple murder inside the Beach View Park, the police have written letters to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the district South administration to establish a shelter home for homeless people who had been living near the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi and maintain the park properly.

The police told the authorities that the park was increasingly becoming a haven for homeless persons.

South SSP Sheeraz Nazeer in his letter to the director of the KMC had pointed out that after the triple murder inside the park, the police inspected the location of the incident and the investigators observed that: “there is no maintenance of park, no watchman was on duty, streetlights were not installed and many shrubs are found at various locations within the park that are used by drug addicts as shelters”. The police urged the KMC to pay special attention to these issues.

The KMC has been asked to solve these specifics issues/concerns in the future “so that the local police could easily patrol inside and around the park to avoid any unpleasant situation”.

The police mobile patrolling has been enhanced at such locations after the tragic incidents.

In another letter to the district South administration, the South SSP has pointed out that for a long-time various wanderers//homeless people, men, women, children and drug addicts have made their ‘permanent residence’ at the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi and surrounding areas. “Their stay in such places is threat to their life and area round.”

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2019