KARACHI: A local leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was shot dead in a suspected targeted attack in Baldia Town on Tuesday morning, police said.

The Madina Colony police said that the victim, 65-year-old Haji Amanullah Afridi, was targeted by unknown assailants riding a motorbike near his residence when he was going to a mosque to offer Fajr prayer.

Keamari SSP Faizan Ali said that the incident did not appear to be an outcome of a robbery bid.

According to the officials, the CCTV footage of the place of incident shows a young man, clad in shalwar-kameez who was apparently waiting for the victim on the corner of the street, following him when he came out of his home. Later, he shot Mr Afridi from behind at about 6:27am and fled.

The body was shifted to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal formalities.

Mr Afridi was a former union council chairman in the area.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza said, “Mr Afridi had been active in the past at local level in social and political circles of Baldia Town, Keamari and was also elected as chairman of the Abidabad UC as an independent candidate.”

He said that preliminary investigations suggested that the murder was probably motivated by a tribal feud.

He said that the deceased belonged to the Hassankhel tribe, which is “historically involved in a feud with the Raazkhel tribe”.

He recalled that in 2022, members of the Raazkhel tribe were accused of murdering deceased’s nephew Alam in Peshawar, where a murder case was registered.

There were reports that the suspects involved in the said murder case were enlarged on bail, leading to “retaliatory actions” from the Hassankhel tribe.

“Initial findings indicate that this murder could be part of the ongoing tribal conflict,” the DIG said, adding: “Thus the tribal conflict is being examined to determine its connection to the incident.”

Meanwhile, Bashir Memon, the president of the Sindh chapter of the PML-N, strongly condemned the murder of their local leader and demanded that the authorities arrest the killers forthwith.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2024