KARACHI, Aug 26: An attack on a police picket by gunmen in Lyari on late Saturday night led to the killing of a wanted activist of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, who was said to be living in the mafia-infested Lyari.

Lyari SP Fayyaz Khan said about 10 men attacked a police picket near the Lyari General Hospital and wounded a head constable. A constable responded by opening fire at the fleeing suspects, who disappeared in the narrow lanes the area.

The suspects first tried to take along their wounded associate, but later dumped him in order to escape.

Police took the wounded suspect to the Civil Hospital, where he died from the gunshot wound he had suffered in the head.

“After awhile, the dead suspect was identified as Fayyaz Dada, an activist of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi wanted by the police in the parcel bombing case. I had arrested him in 2003, but in jail Dada made friends with some outlaws of Lyari and after coming out from jail found Lyari a safe haven to continue his criminal activities,” SP Fayyaz Khan said, adding that the outlaw was also involved in the killing of a CID policeman, Waseem, in the recent days in Lyari. On Oct 16 and 17, 2003, a total of 10 parcel bombs were received by security officials, including officers investigating the jihadi and sectarian cases. Three of the bombs had exploded, injuring nine people, while the others were defused.