Karachi: The suspect involved in the targeted killing of renowned senior lawyer Khawaja Shamsul Islam has been identified, police officials confirmed on Thursday.
According to authorities, law enforcement personnel have detained two relatives of the suspect from Gulshan Sikandarabad, Karachi. Both individuals are currently under interrogation to gather information about the fugitive’s whereabouts.
Police revealed that the prime suspect, identified as Imran Khan Afridi, was formerly employed as Khawaja Shamsul Islam’s personal gunman. Investigators believe that Afridi may have used his close association with the lawyer to execute the attack.
The suspect remains at large, and police have launched a manhunt to apprehend him.
The Karachi Bar Association has strongly condemned the killing and issued a statement demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those involved. Legal circles across the country have expressed shock and outrage over the incident, calling it a serious attack on the legal fraternity.
Previously released CCTV footage from the crime scene shows a masked assailant, dressed in traditional shalwar kameez, approaching and opening fire on the lawyer before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.
The attack occurred in DHA Phase 6, where Khawaja Shamsul Islam had arrived with his son to attend a funeral. The assailant ambushed them near the venue and opened fire at close range.
Khawaja Shamsul Islam was shot in the abdomen, while his son sustained a gunshot wound to the lower back. Both were rushed to a nearby private hospital, where the senior lawyer succumbed to his injuries despite efforts to save him. His son is said to be in stable condition.
The case has sparked demands for better security protocols for legal professionals, especially those handling sensitive or high-profile cases.