KARACHI: Preedy Police Station's Station House Officer (SHO) was gunned down in Karachi's Akhtar Colony on Thursday.

SHO Aijaz Khawaja was travelling in his car when gunmen fired at him, leaving him severely wounded. He was rushed to Jinnah hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Dr Seemin Jamali of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) said the SHO was shot in the face. He was said to be wearing civilian clothes when he was attacked.

An investigation committee under the leadership of DIG South has been formed to investigate the incident.

Speaking to media representatives after the incident, Karachi Police Chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo said that Khawaja was not under any obvious threat. However, he was a police officer investigating multiple cases.

DIG south Dr Jamil said the police is investigating the murder of the SHO from two angles; whether he was handling high profile cases or whether he had some sort of friction with any organisation.

The interior of SHO Aijaz's car can be seen in this screengrab. -DawnNews screengrab

Three officials from Preedy Police Station have been targeted in the past. Two SHOs Ghazanfar Kazmi and Agha Asad were killed in 2013 and 2014 whereas Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Ranjha was targeted in 2010.

Know more: DSP shot dead in Karachi

DSP Nawaz Ranjha and his driver Jehangir Husain were killed when they were targeted by assailants on MA Jinnah Road near the Radio Pakistan building when the officer was returning from his duty on the night of Aug 16 2010.

Also read: Preedy SHO shot dead in ‘sniper attack’

In another incident in 2013, Inspector Agha Asadullah was travelling in his private car on Dr Daudpta Road when a bullet hit him in the head. He was also posted as the SHO at Preedy Police Station.

Ghazanfar Ali Kazmi, also an SHO of Preedy police station, was shot dead in 2014. According to the police, gunmen had attacked him near Anklesaria Hospital when he was going in his private car to his residence in Garden police headquarters.

Read: SHO, ASI killed in Karachi attacks

SHO Kazmi had taken part in the 1992 operation against criminals in Karachi, DIG Barrister Abdul Khalique Shaikh had said. The DIG had also revealed that the SHO had been under threats because of his active part in the ongoing operation against criminals in Karachi.