Fear in Karachi: Factory executive gunned down in target killing

Fear in Karachi: Factory executive gunned down in target killing By Our Correspondent Published: February 20, 2013 SHO revealed that the factory was bankrupt and the potential motive could be related to that. PHOTO: FILE KARACHI: Target killings in Pakistan’s commercial capital of Karachi continued unabated on Tuesday, claiming a further eight lives, including a top executive of a factory. Arshad Pervez, the Managing Director of Pakistan Machine Tool Factory was killed and the factory’s general manager Kashif and the driver were wounded when unidentified gunmen fired on his car in Behns Colony within the limits of Shah Latif police station. The incident occurred as they were driving to Pervez’s home in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Station House Officer (SHO) Ali Hassan Sheikh, quoting Kashif and the driver, said that the attackers were on a motorcycle. Sheikh added that Pervez was shot once in the chest and the bullet traveling across his body and striking Kashif’s arm. The SHO refused to confirm if the killers were extortionists, saying that Pervez was the target, while the police had not received any complaints about extortion threats. He revealed that the factory was bankrupt and the potential motive could be related to that. No arrests have been made. 4 people killed in Shah Latif, Sharifabad Goth Separately, at least four people were shot dead and four others wounded in shooting incidents in Shah Latif and Sharifabad Goth. The deceased were identified as Saeed Khan, Shah Jahan, Mohammad Siddiq and Arshad. The injured were identified as Zeeshan, Jawwad, Taufeeq and Mohammad Ali. Police officials said that a lone criminal, Ismail, was responsible, adding that he first killed his brother Saeed at his cell phone shop in Amin Mobile Market in Shah Latif and wounded Zeeshan and Jawwad. Ismail continued his killing spree in Sharafi Goth where he resorted to indiscriminate firing on shops on Moinabad road, killing Shah Jahan, Arshad and Siddiq and injuring Taufeeq and Ali. Several people gathered at the site and tried to catch the killer. But a heavy contingent of police reached the site and managed to rescue him from the mob. Shia man gunned down A man belonging to the Shia community, Safdar Ali Kazmi, was killed near Chohta Gate within the limits of the Airport police. He was on his way to the sit-in protest in the airport area when two armed men on motorcycle targeted him. Elderly man killed Ejaz Ahmed Siddiqui, an elderly man, was shot dead in Awami Colony. Siddiqui was returning from his sister’s house when two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on his car. 1 MQM worker killed, 1 injured In yet another targeted attack, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) worker was gunned down in Orangi Town. Tauqeer Ashrafi was sitting at a meat shop when he came under attack by two armed men. Asim Jafari, another MQM worker belonging to the Shia community was injured in Nazimabad area. Three more people were also injured in a targeted attack in Baldia Town. Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2013.