KARACHI: Police have launched investigation into the murder of Hamdard Dawakhana manager after lodging the first information report (FIR).

Central SSP Irfan Ali Baloch said nothing had been discovered so far which could help them ascertain the identity and motive of the killers. He added that the police were also waiting for the forensic lab report to determine if the same weapon had been used in some other crime in the past.

“Investigators are also interrogating workers at the famous dawakhana to get any clue,” he said.

The SSP was of the view that such murders usually took place because of personal enmity.

Gulbahar SHO Qamar Zaib Satti said the police had registered an FIR (145/2018) on the complaint of the victim’s brother Rafaqat Ali against unknown killers under Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The complainant, the branch manager of a private bank, told the police his family had no enmity with anyone.

On Aug 15, Asghar Ali, 53, was travelling in a car along with his female colleague when same armed motorcyclists opened fire on him as his vehicle slowed down near the Nazimabad underpass.

He sustained three bullet wounds and died on the spot.

Investigators had collected four spent bullet casings, fired with a 30-bore pistol, from the crime scene and sent the same to the forensic lab.

The SHO pointed out that the victim had been working at the Hamdard Dawakhana at Gol Market, Nazimabad No. 3, for over 30 years.

He used to drop three women at their respective homes after duty hours. One of them had retired while another one had not been coming to the office for last few months.

The third woman who was travelling with the victim at the time of the incident had initially left the crime scene in a rickshaw for her home located at Sindhi Hotel in Liaquatabad. She later narrated the details of the murder to the police.

17 ‘street criminals’ held

The police on Saturday claimed to have arrested 17 ‘street criminals’ who were active in different parts of the Central district.

As part of a recently launched drive against growing incidents of street crimes, the police conducted actions in various localities and arrested 17 suspects, said SSP Irfan Baloch.

Speaking at a press conference at his office, the senior officer claimed that the held suspects were mostly involved in looting those citizens who drew cash from ATMs or banks.

“Victims of such crimes have been called to identify the held suspects,” he said.

The SSP said 20 motorcycles were recovered from their possession.

The officer said Khwaja Ajmer Nagri and Sir Syed police stations had started a crackdown against street criminals on the orders of West Zone DIG Khadim Hussain Rind and managed to arrest the said suspects.

The suspects also used to sell hijacked motorcycles at cheap rates in Hub, Sakran and other areas of Balochistan.

Separately, the police apprehended a ringleader of a gang, Amir Ali, who was involved in robberies in schools.

SSP Baloch revealed that the held suspect along with his accomplices used to enter schools, subject women to harassment and commit robberies.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2018