KARACHI, July 19: Malir was in the grip of panic on Friday as shops and markets stayed shut amid protest against overnight raids and arrests by police in connection with the killing of a close relation of a police officer on Thursday night.

Zahid Khan, aged 42, a small trader, was sprayed with bullets near the RCD Ground in Saudabad, Malir, by unidentified men. He died on the spot. Zahid was first cousin of Taufeeq Zahid, SHO New Karachi, who had played a significant role in the operation against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Sources said Zahid had shops at Liaquat Market, Malir, and he refused to give forced donation to people affiliated with an ethnic party. He had lodged an FIR against them for demanding bhatta (protection money) and police arrested the suspects who were facing trial in court and their bail applications were rejected. Police were keeping in view the element of extortion in their investigation of Zahid’s murder, the sources added.

A friend of Zahid’s lodged an FIR at Saudabad police station in which he named Maqbool, Waseem Bhutto and Javed for the killing of Zahid.

Police launched a massive operation in Malir Town to arrest the suspects and picked up relations of the suspects to pressure the suspects named in the FIR in order to force the suspects to surrender to police.

DIG Karachi (Operation) Tariq Jamil said: “We have picked up 5-6 people in Malir in connection with the killing of Zahid.”

Answering a question whether any of the suspects had been arrested, he said: “No. We are making efforts to trace them down.”

Residents of Malir said their area reverberated with the sound of gunfire in the morning and miscreants took to the streets and lit bonfires, causing stoppage of public and private transport. Public transport resumed plying after some time, though it remained thin throughout the day in the disturbed localities.

Residents said miscreants forced shopkeepers to down their shutters in the morning. Shops and markets remained closed throughout the day.

They said a large number of people were unable to go to work because of unavailability of transport.

Residents complained that police reached the troubled area after two hours. The area, however, remained tense and shops and markets stayed shut. People also preferred to stay indoors.

The DIG claimed: “Malir Town was disturbed during the day. Police reached the spot immediately to control the situation. We have detained some 16 people for breach of peace. There is peace in Malir as police are in full control of the situation.”

The sources said Inspector Taufeeq Zahid arrived at Saudabad police station and he himself took part in raids to arrest the suspected killers. He requested his superiors to post him at Saudabad police station so that he could arrest the killers of Zahid, the sources added.

Funeral prayer of Zahid Khan was offered at a mosque in Model Colony. He was buried in a local graveyard.

In a statement, Amir Khan, the General Secretary of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, condemned the “unjustified” raids by rangers and police and the arrest of workers and supporters of the MQM. He demanded their immediate release. He also demanded that a 10-year-old boy, Jawwad, son of Mohammed Javed, member organizing committee of the MQM, also be released immediately.