Unidentified armed men shot dead the Pakistan People Party’s (PPP) Kashmiri Market president near the Delhi Gate when he was returning home after purchasing some edibles in the Akbari Gate Police precincts on Thursday. The deceased was identified as 70-year-old Karam Elahi, a resident of Delhi Gate area and PPP Kashimri Bazaar president and general secretary of the Anjuman-e-Tajiraan Kashmiri Bazaar. According to details, Karam was heading home after purchasing some meat from a local market when a single murderer, who was believed to be on foot, approached him from behind and opened three fires at him. Resultantly, Karam was serious injured while the killer managed to flee.
Local residents and three sons of Karam rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood. He was immediately rushed to Mayo Hospital but died on the way. Police, after reaching the spot, removed the body to Mayo Hospital morgue for autopsy and started searching for the murderer after registering a case. Akbari Gate SHO Zahid Hussain told Pakistan Today that eyewitnesses statements depicted that there was only one murderer and he came on foot but the family claimed that there were four murderers. He said that according to the complaint filed by the deceased’s family, four unidentified motorcyclists approached the deceased at around 10am and killed him after opening indiscriminate fire near the Delhi Gate.
Zahid said that police have registered a case according to the complaint filed by the deceased’s son Mudassar. He said that the incident was not result of any robbery resistance nor it was conducted by extortionists. To a question, he said the deceased had a minor scuffle with some locals whom police would also include in investigation.
Asim and Abdul Sattar, son and brother of Karam, claimed that they did not have any enmity with anyone. Only PPP Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Sajida Mir reached the spot to show solidarity with the family of the deceased. Sajida, talking to journalists, said that the Punjab government had failed to protect the lives and properties of Lahoris and law and order was deteriorating with each passing day. She paid tributes to Karam and remembered his services and sacrifices for the PPP. Sajida said that Karam was a diehard PPP worker and the Punjab government should arrest the criminals involved in his murder as soon as possible.
