MQM-P’s Izharul Hasan escapes assassination bid, police guard, boy killed

KARACHI: Senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Khawaja Izharul Hasan escaped an assassination attempt on Saturday, but his police guard and a young boy were killed and several others injured in the gun attack carried out by four assailants allegedly wearing police uniforms.

The bodies and the injured have been shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital whereas law enforcers have recovered as many as 27 bullet casings of 9mm pistol, SSP Central Pir Muhammad Shah said.

“Unknown gunmen opened fire on Khawaja Izharul Hassan when he was meeting people after Eid prayers. His guard and a boy, about 10 years old, were killed while four others were including another guard were wounded in the firing,” senior police official Zulfiqar Larak told AFP.

Another senior police official, Pir Mohammad Shah, confirmed the shooting and said one of the gunmen was also killed when Hassan’s second guard, who was also wounded in the attack, fired back. He said the attackers came in police uniforms so they were able to pass through various checkpoints unhindered.

MQM leader Farooq Sattar condemned the shooting and criticised federal and provincial governments for not providing adequate security to opposition politicians despite threats from banned sectarian militant outfits.

“I strongly condemn this attack on Khawaja Izharul Hassan,” Farooq said. “My party colleagues and myself are facing threats from banned sectarian militant outfits and other organisations but federal and provincial governments have failed to provide us adequate security.”

Khawaja Izharul Hasan is also the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly.

According to the FIR [First Information Report] registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) at Taimuria Police Station, police pursued the attackers after the incident and one of the assailants was injured in the ensuing shootout. It said that citizens managed to get hold of the fleeing suspect and handed him to the police. However, the suspect later succumbed to his injuries, the FIR added.

Earlier, the police had claimed to have killed the suspect in a gun battle after chasing him.

According to the suspected assailant Ahsan’s initial autopsy report, he was shot in the head and his body was bearing several torture marks. The Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) footage of the incident shows that the suspect was subjected to torture by citizens before being killed by the police.

Ahsan was reportedly an engineer by profession and was a resident of Sohrab Goth. Following his identification, the police carried out a raid at his residence and arrested his father and other relatives.

Informed sources said that Ahsan had recently picked a quarrel with workers of a political party over a dispute in connection with extortion money.