The Preedy Police Station’s station house officer (SHO) was gunned down in Akhtar Colony on Thursday.
SHO Aijaz Khawaja was in his car when he was severely injured after gunmen fired at him. He was rushed to Jinnah Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. SHO Aijaz was dressed in civilian clothes and had just left his home when he was attacked. Dr Seemi Jamali of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) said the SHO was shot in the face.
An investigation committee under the leadership of DIG South has been formed to look into the incident. Karachi Police Chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo, while talking to media representatives after the incident, said that Khawaja was not under any obvious threat. However, he was investigating multiple cases.
DIG South Dr Jamil said the police were investigating the murder of SHO from two angles; whether he was handling high profile cases or whether he had some sort of friction with any organisation.
Three officials from Preedy Police Station have been targeted in the past. Two SHOs Ghazanfar Kazmi and Agha Asad were killed in 2013 and 2014 whereas Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Ranjha was targeted in 2010.
DSP Nawaz Ranjha and his driver Jehangir Husain were killed when they were targeted by assailants on MA Jinnah Road near Radio Pakistan building when the officer was returning from his duty on the night of Aug 16 2010. In another incident in 2013, Inspector Agha Asadullah was travelling in his private car on Dr Daudpta Road when a bullet hit him in the head. He was also posted as the SHO at Preedy Police Station.
Ghazanfar Ali Kazmi, also an SHO of Preedy police station, was shot dead in 2014. According to the police, the gunmen attacked him near Anklesaria Hospital when he was going in his private car to his residence in Garden police headquarters.
SHO Kazmi had taken part in the 1992 operation against criminals in Karachi, DIG Barrister Abdul Khalique Shaikh said. The DIG had also revealed that the SHO had been under threats because of his active part in the ongoing operation against criminals in Karachi.