Daily Times

Sindh MPA Aslam Abro’s brother and nephew were shot dead on Wednesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on their vehicle in Phase 7 of Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

SSP South Asad Raza confirmed that Aslam Abro’s brother Shahryar Abro and nephew Akram Abro had died in the attack while the injured persons were identified as Abdullah Abro and Arshad Pahoor. “There were five persons onboard the vehicle and they were coming from their house in Khayaban-e-Shamsheer when they were chased and targetted,” the police officer said.

Karachi Police Chief Javed Alam Odho told reporters that the attack was “not an incident of terrorism” but whether it was a case of “animosity or something else” was not yet known. However, he added that the matter was still under investigation and further details were expected to emerge only later.

“But the victims were definitely targetted,” he said, “the accused carried out the attack at a place where security cameras were not installed.” While speaking to the media at the crime scene, SP Investigation South Abraiz Ali Abbasi revealed that “large weapons and 9mm shells” have also been recovered. “a .222 rifle and a 9mm pistol were used in the attack”. “The attackers were travelling on more than one motorcycle,” he said adding that more information will be available after the investigation.

PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the attack and said that the brutal murder of Akram Abro and Shehryar Abro is an “act of terrorism”. “The killers will soon be brought to justice,” he added. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah strongly condemned the incident as well and expressed regret over the deaths.

“Such incidents cannot be tolerated at any cost,” he said and ordered the inspector general of police to submit a detailed report. Shah further said the culprits should be arrested immediately. In a statement, the Sindh Bar Council (SBC) also strongly condemned the “brutal murder” of Akram, who it said was an advocate and hailed from the Jacobabad district. In it, the SBC said the incident was a “complete failure of law enforcement agencies” and said it had “put a big question mark over their performance”.

It demanded that Sindh Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon and other authorities concerned take immediate notice of the incident, arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice forthwith.