KARACHI: A suspected gangster, who had allegedly shot at and wounded a young man, was gunned down by citizens in Lyari’s Baghdadi area on Monday evening, according to officials.

Two gangsters opened fire on Dad Mohammed in Ali Mohammed Mohalla, injuring him.

Area residents retaliated and killed one of the attackers, identified as Khair Mohammed alias Baba Golden, while his accomplice managed to escape, City SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio said.

The gangster had links with the Baba Ladla gang, he added.

Another police officer said Dad Mohammed might have been attacked by the gangsters over suspicion of being a police ‘informer’. He said that recently the Baba Ladla and Ghaffar Zikri gangs had joined hands and since then several localities of Lyari such as Ali Mohammed Mohalla, Edu Lane, Phool Patti Lane and Panjguri Mohalla remained disturbed.

Councillor killed by ‘gangsters’

A local government councillor and former ‘chairman’ of the Baba Ladla gang’s elders’ committee was shot dead in the Baghdadi area of Lyari in a renewed wave of violence related to gang warfare, officials said on Monday.

Mama Umaid Ali, 65, was attacked outside ‘Zikr Khana’ in Ali Mohammed Lane by three gangsters just a week after a couple had been sprayed with bullets in a targeted attack in the Ali Mohammad Mohalla, the police officials added.

City SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio said Umaid was maternal uncle of Ghaffar Zikri, a ringleader of one of the several gangs in Lyari.

The police suspected involvement of gangsters affiliated with the Baba Ladla gang, said the officer.

Only a few years ago, his son and son-in-law were gunned down in the neighbourhood, said a social activist from Lyari while speaking to Dawn.

He said that Umaid used to help the persons released from police custody when he was the chairman of elders’ committee. But he had lately refused to provide any help to detained gangsters, the activist said, adding that it could be one of the possible motives for his murder.

The resident said that with the killing of Noor Mohammed alias Baba Ladla and possible hanging of Uzair Baloch, known gangsters such as Ghaffar Zikri, Agha Shaukat and others became active again to control drug business in Lyari. For the past two weeks, the area had been witnessing violence and extortion activity.

As the holy month of Ramazan draws near, shopkeepers and other people have also started receiving chits for extortion, said the area resident.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2017