KARACHI: A 50-year-old man and his young son were shot dead by his brother in New Sabzi Mandi as a years-old property dispute between the siblings turned deadly on Tuesday, police said.

They said Zill-i-Hakeem Khan, a vegetable and fruit dealer, had a monetary and property dispute with his younger brother, Dr Zahir Khan, for the last few years. The traders at the market told the police that they had witnessed a couple of episodes of heated debates between the two brothers in the past over the same disputes which forced them to intervene, advising them to resolve the matter amicably.

“On Tuesday afternoon, Dr Khan again turned up and the [disputed] matter came under discussion between the two brothers,” said an official. “The heated arguments turned violent when Dr Zahir [Khan] pulled out a pistol and fired shots indiscriminately. Zill-i-Hakeem and his 23-year-old son, Idrees Khan, were hit by multiple bullets and Dr Khan escaped in his car.” Both the wounded, he said, died while being taken to hospital. The police were making efforts for the suspect’s arrest.

Chehlum security

A meeting of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, reviewed a security plan for the Chehlum of Imam Hussain so as to effectively counter any threat of terrorism on the occasion.

A statement issued by the paramilitary force said that the meeting was held at the Rangers headquarters which was headed by Maj Gen Omer Ahmed. The meeting was attended by the Karachi commissioner, the additional inspector general of the city, and senior officials of police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies.

“It was decided that foolproof security would be provided to all sensitive installations, religious congregations and processions to be held on the occasion of Chehlum,” it said. “The session resolved that all the relevant laws and code of conduct issued by the government would be fully followed by the stakeholders for ensuring complete security during the day. The representatives of law enforcement agencies also reviewed the strategy in place to ensure law and order and combat street crime in the province.”

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2019