KHAIRPUR: Four persons, including the former nazim of Piryaloi union council, were shot dead in a sudden upsurge of violence in the katcha area of the town on Monday.

Armed men reportedly waylaid the former UC nazim, Shuja Ansari, 42, when he was returning home in Marrhi Mohalla of Piryaloi town in the evening. They fired some shots from pointblank range and fled, witnesses said, adding that another man accompanying the victim was wounded.

Soon after the killing, a shutdown was observed across the town amid panic and fear.

A few hours later, three persons were shot dead in the katcha area apparently in reaction to the former nazim’s killing. The affected area kept reverberating with gunshot sound till late in the evening.

Police identified the other firing victims as Mohammad Urs, Ghulam Mustafa and Sajjad, all belonging to the Odho clan.

A strong contingent of the police was sent to the katcha area to bring the situation under control, the Khairpur SSP Usman Ghani Siddiqui said.

Mr Ansari had been elected the Piryaloi UC nazim twice. In the second election, he was back by the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F).

The motive for his killing could not be ascertained till late in the evening.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2014