Sajid Qureshi Bhai Shaheed: إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ KARACHI, June 21: A Sindh Assembly legislator belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and his son were gunned down here on Friday. The killings triggered violence in several parts of the city. According to TV channel reports, the Taliban claimed responsibility for killing the MPA. Sajid Qureshi, 52, was coming out of a mosque in North Nazimabad after Friday prayers when three gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on him. His 28-year-old son Waqas was also killed when he rushed to help his father, SSP Central Amir Farooqi said. He said the killers were waiting for Mr Qureshi and appeared to have known him. The legislator was hit by four bullets and his son seven. Initial report of the police forensic division, he said, suggested that the assailants had used three 9mm pistols. A source in the forensic division told Dawn on condition of anonymity that one bullet had been fired from one pistol, three bullets from the second and seven from the third. He said police were looking into the data of similar incidents of target killing in Karachi to determine if the same weapon had been used earlier. SSP Farooqi said two of the attackers who were wearing trousers and shirts fled on the motorcycle and third one in Shalwar Kameez managed to go behind the mosque and escape. He said a sketch of the third assailant had been prepared with the help of witnesses and assistance of the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee. According to sources, there are two possible routes the assailants might have taken to escape — one leading to Khandu Goth, an area dominated by alleged Lyari gangsters but that is guarded by a Rangers picket, and the other goes to Mujahid Colony, a locality said to be dominated by militants. The sources said the attackers might have escaped to Mujahid Colony. The incident took place some time before the MQM was to announce at a press conference the result of its referendum held on Thursday to seek opinion of its workers as well as the general public whether or not the party should join the coalition government in Sindh. The MQM postponed the announcement. The MQM, which says that its 100 workers have been killed in Karachi since the May 11 elections, announced three days of mourning from Saturday. The party’s lawmakers walked out of the National Assembly in protest against the killing of Mr Qureshi. Soon after the incident, tension and fear gripped several areas and shops were closed and commercial activities came to a grinding halt. Transport disappeared from roads and fuel stations were closed. At least six vehicles were set on fire. Reports of violence were also received from Hyderabad and some other cities and towns of Sindh. Mr Qureshi, elected from PS-103, is the first member of the new Sindh Assembly and among three MQM legislators killed over the past three years. The other two were Raza Haider and Manzar Imam.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 03:26:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015