KARACHI, May 19: A young builder was gunned down outside his home off Shaheed-i-Millat Road on Saturday, police said.

They said a man on a motorbike spotted Salman Azam, in his early 30s, when he was sitting in his car outside the Arsal Apartment in New Karachi Housing Scheme of PECHS block 2.

“As told by witnesses the man got off the motorbike, came close to Azam and fired three shots at him and rode away,” said DSP Murtaza Malik, the area’s sub-divisional police officer (SDPO). “The people around said that the attacker also threatened them when some of them advanced towards him. Azam suffered serious wounds and was moved to a private hospital, where he died during treatment.”

He said the spent bullet casings found from the crime-scene suggested that a 9mm pistol was used in the attack.

The DSP suspected personal enmity as a probable motive behind the killing.

“We have talked to the victim’s family, which has confirmed that Azam had a dispute with someone, who is unknown to them. The family is in a state of shock and we would take our time to gather more facts about this particular issue,” said Inspector Ejaz Khawaja, the SHO of the Ferozabad police station.

City builders having stakes of billions of rupees in Karachi’s real estate industry, however, took the incident differently. They linked the killing with threats being received by builders in Karachi.

“This cold-blooded murder has created panic among the builders and it is becoming very difficult for them to continue their business in these conditions,” stated Mohsin Sheikhani, the chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers (Abad), in a letter to President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani as well as high-ups of the security administration.

“It is pertinent to mention that recently the incidents of land grabbing and encroachment have increased to an alarming level. When these cases are brought to the knowledge of police authorities with the names of culprits, the builders receive threats and today one of our members has been murdered.”

Man found shot dead in Lyari

A young man was found shot dead in the Lyari area on Saturday.

Police said that the body of the man was found in the early hours of Saturday on Mirza Adam Khan Road within the remit of the Kalakot police station.

“He is identified as 24-year-old Babar,” said DSP Muhammad Azam Khan, the area’s SDPO. “The victim had been missing since Friday and we are sure that he was kidnapped and tortured before being shot dead. The murder seems a part of rivalry between two gangs, as a member of the victim’s family was also shot dead earlier this week.”

Body found

The body of an unidentified young man was found in Mowach Goth. The Mauripur police said the young victim was shot twice.

“The body has been shifted to the Edhi morgue after medico-legal formalities at the Civil Hospital for want of identification. We have lodged an FIR (174/2012) under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code against unknown persons on behalf of the state.”