Boy wearing ‘monster mask’ shot by guard in Karachi

E-Paper | July 29, 2026

KARACHI: An 11-year-old boy, wearing ‘monster mask’, was shot dead by a security guard in Ferozabad area on Sunday night, according to police.

They said that Ali Hasan was shot at and wounded by the guard on Amir Khusro Road. He suffered critical injuries and was taken to Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre where doctors declared him dead. The boy received bullet wounds in his head, said Dr Seemin Jamali, head of the emergency department.

The suspect has been taken into custody.

SSP Investigation Zulfiqar Mahar told Dawn that the initial investigation had suggested that the guard was panicked and shot and killed the boy.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2016

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Ali jee

Mar 21, 2016 12:07pm

Wow didn't he see how tall the boy was he shooting u can tell the size of the guy or boy even if u can't see the face u got to be very brave in this kind of job u doing in Pakistan u can't just shoot people

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Dr. Farooq Khan

Mar 21, 2016 12:19pm

What if some terrorist comes wearing a veil? Reality is that we have no solution to such suicide attacks.

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mano

Mar 21, 2016 12:50pm

I don't blame the guard. The blame lies on our society as a whole in creating this tense atmosphere.

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MSK

Mar 21, 2016 12:59pm

Unfortunate incident but the reality is that most suicide bombers are young boys in their early teens. So the guard has taken a preemptive measure keeping in view the overall security situation of the country.

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Ahmed

Mar 21, 2016 01:00pm

Pathetic training of security guards.

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atif

Mar 21, 2016 01:01pm

@mano very right....but it has nothing to do with being thought of him as terrorist.

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HMR

Mar 21, 2016 01:17pm

Superstitious believes

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Farooq

Mar 21, 2016 01:23pm

The security firm should be immediately blacklisted and criminally prosecuted for providing weapons to untrained monsters. There should be compulsory training verifications by government agencies of all private guards . This monster should be given exemplary punishment . The probability of a common man getting killed by untrained guards and security personal is increasing everyday as compared to getting killed by some terrorist.

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adnan

Mar 21, 2016 01:28pm

@Ahmed pathetic training of the child also! nothing wrong with this

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Naxalite

Mar 21, 2016 01:38pm

@mano specially the Karachi silent majority is to blame who did nothing to undo MQM's forced reign.

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alpha

Mar 21, 2016 01:58pm

the guard was right to respond..i am sorry for the unfortunate boy..but in current situation we have to empower our guards so that they can protect us..

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Sarah

Mar 21, 2016 02:01pm

Killed an innocent boy just wearing a mask while leaving all the real monsters (without a mask) free ! how lame.

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Kaunjee

Mar 21, 2016 02:13pm

What's a monster mask???

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Sidd

Mar 21, 2016 02:28pm

How many real suicide bombers were wearing masks and attacked a lonely security guard? Very rightly said by Ali Jee that the people doing guard or other similar duties should be courageous enough to sense the actual situation.

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Imran

Mar 21, 2016 02:42pm

Security guards of normal locations like this are never heard of even firing a bullet in a threatening situation, here the guard seems disturbed by a boy and knowing he can inflict damage to unarmed, Guard pulled the trigger.

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Merchant

Mar 21, 2016 02:44pm

Very sad and tragic incidences like this will keep on happening unless we snatch firearms from EVERYONE except the police and military. These firearms are the biggest curse of our society and should be very strictly limited.

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SAEED MASOOD

Mar 21, 2016 02:56pm

Very very sad...the poor boy and the family...Now the guard will be at the mercy of the police.

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Baaligh

Mar 21, 2016 02:57pm

But where was the guard posting ? At a bank branch ? A shop ? house ?Where ? And what caused the guard to panic ? Simple sight of the boy ?or did the boy approach the guard ?

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Ali Dublin

Mar 21, 2016 03:11pm

Not much info given. What exactly happened. Did the guard warn him. Why didn't the guard shot him on the leg, why head.

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Adnan

Mar 21, 2016 04:05pm

See the confidence of security guard he failed to differentiate between monster and kid.

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Javed Arshad

Mar 21, 2016 04:26pm

Guarding someone else's life while putting one's own at stake is a tense and risky job. Nobody would voluntarily like to do it. The loss of boy's life is saddening but I would not blame the guard who is supposed to respond to terror and scare instantaneously. My sympathies are with boy's family but is there a fault on the part of the guard is open to question.

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Justwasif

Mar 21, 2016 04:30pm

Sad.. Just sad for all of us, guard is not responsible but the security company who hire totally un educated guards on very low salary.

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Mujtaba

Mar 21, 2016 04:33pm

A society where fear is treated as commodity, this incident is pretty much justified. Guard is not to blame.

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Justwasif

Mar 21, 2016 04:53pm

Very sad

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susheel

Mar 21, 2016 05:04pm

I have never heard of a terrorist wearing a monster mask .children do often wear it.it seems the guard was a coward who panicked at the sight of the mask.what a shame , an innocent boy lost his life for his playful behavior. Terrorism in the country can not be justification for such a cowardly act.

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The Observer

Mar 21, 2016 05:19pm

Had seen interview of the guard on some channel, as per guard he had no prior training.

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ahmad

Mar 21, 2016 05:19pm

This is so tragic. don't have any other words to describe my thoughts. My heart and prayers goes out the family.

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Philosopher (from Japan)

Mar 21, 2016 05:32pm

Most security guards don't know how to operate fire arms if you get them panicked fatal casualty is certain.

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xpakistani

Mar 21, 2016 06:16pm

Most unfortunate incident, may he rest in peace. Parents should warn kids from doing such things, because guards can have very edgy nerves in the prevailing law and order situation in the country.

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mastani

Mar 21, 2016 06:36pm

The security is damn scared, they don't know what to do.

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sohail

Mar 21, 2016 06:40pm

@adnan aren't kids supposed to wear mask? was the kid holding a gun or wearing suicide jacket?

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aha

Mar 21, 2016 07:23pm

A very unfortunate incident. Given the tensions within our society, such tragedies will happen, unfortunately. Sympathies to the family of the deceased.

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AKB

Mar 21, 2016 08:40pm

The cowards always get into panic and kill innocent people. Such people should not be employed on the security duties.

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flipflop

Mar 21, 2016 10:06pm

This shows that not every other person can become a guard or at least wield a gun. Did he get training to be a guard or at least some sort of training ?

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Irfan Baloch

Mar 21, 2016 10:11pm

very tragic incident. sadly many civilians have lost lives in such instances. in real terror attacks the terrorists don't give chance to the guards.

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S. I. Rafiq

Mar 21, 2016 11:23pm

@Baaligh Good Point!

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syed

Mar 21, 2016 11:49pm

When you have armed security guards protecting your mosques, markets, schools, shops and almost everything coupled with the sense of insecurity, then these kind of accidents will occur.

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Tarannum S

Mar 21, 2016 11:55pm

In an era when even kids are being hired for terrorism, the guard may have went out of reason. Sad incident. RIP little one.

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Abid Hafeez

Mar 22, 2016 12:13am

Judiciary is reqiested to very carefully do the trial. Do not punish the guard if he didn't do it with some bad intensions but punish is very badly if he is found guilty.

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Mar 22, 2016 03:00am

@Dr. Farooq Khan They don't wear mask, they wear suicide jackets and do you really think those guards can stop a terrorist?

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Ordinary Citizen

Mar 22, 2016 03:05am

Greatest smpathy and deepest condolences to the youngster's family. Very unfortunate incident. Meanwhile I am thinking of poor security guard who had to suffer the consequences of a poor decision made in implse reaction. Hopefully some one will help this poor chap to get the justice, instead of revenge.

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Mar 22, 2016 03:08am

whoever blaming the child, they may don't have one

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Murtaza

Mar 22, 2016 03:51am

Whose guard was he? The person's keeping guard shall be punished as well for ill act of the guard they have kept. Its them who create pressure and give such instruction to them.

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AdHawk

Mar 22, 2016 06:02am

When was the last time you heard of a security guard actually shooting a bad guy?

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Akil Akhtar

Mar 22, 2016 06:46am

In the west they have banned plastic replica guns as they can lead to misunderstandings...we need to train our people also on how to behave in these difficult times and help the security agencies not make their life difficult....But unfortunately we do not have the concept of responsibilities of the citizens.

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ali

Mar 22, 2016 06:46am

how ignorant can one get? these security guard are poorly trained.

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Mujib

Mar 22, 2016 07:36am

Put yourself in that situation and then post non sense comments

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Jamal Khawer

Mar 22, 2016 09:55am

OOOOOO. It hurts. I am in tears. We are at fault. Poor kid.

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MUMTAZ SHAH

Mar 22, 2016 10:07am

It is a great tragedy .We pray for the departed soul.God may give strength the bereaved family to bear irreparable loss.( MUMTAZ SHAH Texas )

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Buzdar

Mar 22, 2016 03:14pm

I think, the guard responded accordingly without knowing who's behind the veil? Its duty of parents/elders to guide their children not to prank armed guards keeping in view the current law n order situation of the country.

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