KARACHI: Investigators have yet to make a breakthrough in the case of three trans persons gunned down on the outskirts of the city on Sunday.

Sources said that they were working to establish the possible identities of the perpetrators and determine the motive behind the killings.

They said the investigators had obtained CCTV footage from the area, in which one of the victims was seen walking around at approximately 8:45pm on Saturday.

Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon told Dawn that different teams had been tasked to investigate the matter.

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon told reporters that it was an “isolated incident” and the motive was being investigated. He stressed that the government will not spare the perpetrators under any circumstances.

A post-mortem examination of the bodies was conducted late Sunday night at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn that the victims had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

She said one of the deceased, Jiyal, aged 28-30, suffered four bullet wounds, including a fatal shot to the head. Another victim, Alex Riasat Masih, had a single gunshot wound to the chest. The third victim, identified as Younis, aged 17-18, sustained gunshot wounds to the chest and arm.

Murder case registered

The Memon Goth police registered an FIR on the complaint of a trans person under Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Complainant Mohammad Zafar said that he resides in Ayub Goth near Sachal Goth and works as a labourer. “We are all transgender persons and live in different places but in the same area in,” he said.

On Sept 21, at around 2pm, Mr Zafar said that Alex Riasat, Jiyal, and a third individual (Younis) had left their residences at around 7:30pm, saying they were going to Bahria Town via the Superhighway.

He said they attempted to contact Jiyal’s mobile phone around 2am, and though the phone rang, no one answered. They kept trying until 1pm the following day. It was later, through a WhatsApp group, that they came to know all three had been found dead, with gunshot wounds, in the bushes along a service road near Nagori Society on the Superhighway.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2025