Drive-by shooting in New Karachi leaves MQM-P worker dead, gardener wounded

 

KARACHI: Unidentified people opened fire late Monday inside the local office of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), killing a party worker and wounding the gardener, officials confirmed.

The firing incident occurred at the Union Council (UC) 6 office in New Karachi's Sector 11-D area, and according to eyewitnesses, the armed suspects continued shooting at the office and then fled the scene of the crime.

Initially, both Shakeel Ansari and Azam were wounded and shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for emergency medical care but Ansari succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

Azam was said to be in a critical condition.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the minister for information technology and the party's convenor, reached the hospital, where he spoke to the media. Noting that the incident took place at the office of party members Khawaja Izharul Hasan and Usama Qadri, he criticised the government of Sindh, saying it had failed to ensure the safety of his party workers.

"The government will have to take serious measures," he said, calling on the authorities to arrest the perpetrators within 48 hours.

On the other hand, Hasan also reached the hospital along with Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhter and MQM-P leader Amir Khan. Four or five armed men had barged into UC-6 office in North Karachi area, he said, and opened fire there.

At the crime scene, a heavy contingent of police and Rangers personnel reached immediately and cordoned off the area. Police said the suspects had used submachine guns (SMGs) and smaller weapons but that they were investigating to confirms the guns used.

Dr Kaleem Imam, the inspector-general of police (IGP) for Sindh, took notice of the incident and summoned a report right away from the top officials.