KARACHI: An Afghan consulate official was fatally shot by a security guard in Karachi’s Old Clifton area on Monday (Today).
The guard, Hayatullah, opened fire on the third secretary, Zaki Adu, in the lobby of the consulate inside the Afghan compound. The diplomat reportedly died on the spot.
Retelling the events, Consulate spokesman Haris Khan said “We were working at our office when we heard gunshots; everybody was running in panic when I got out.” The guard seems to have fired multiple bullets with his automatic weapon according to police reports. A heavy police presence surrounded the area in the immediate aftermath of the event fearing further assault.
According to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Azad Khan, however, the shooting was the result of a heated disagreement between the deceased and the guard. “There was nothing of the sort and it seems the guard had some sort of personal grudge with the diplomat,” Khan said.
The shooting was later confirmed by the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Zakhilwal, on his official Facebook page. Addressing the incident, the ambassador wrote, “Firing inside Afg Consulate General in Karachi at around 12:30 pm today … has been carried out by an Afghan guard inside the compound resulting in fatality of one of our diplomats,”
Police have arrested Hayatullah, who is an Afghan national and law enforcement agencies including Rangers have cordoned off the highly sensitive area which is home to a number of foreign missions, with those of Indonesia, Britain and France in close proximity. The situation is said to be under control.
