Home minister suspends SHO over killing of gold medallist engineer

Police have registered a case against unidentified suspects in connection with Saturday’s killing of a gold medallist mechanical engineer during a mugging bid in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area.

In the ongoing year so far, the death toll due to resistance during robberies has reached 71. On Saturday evening, robbers roaming the streets of Karachi extinguished another bright light as 27-year-old gold medallist Irtaqa Moin was killed during a robbery bid in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 7 on Saturday evening. The robbers fled after stealing his motorcycle, mobile phone and cash.

The deceased was a gold medallist from the Hamdard University and a mechanical engineer at a private company. He was also an MBA student and had married just a year ago. The funeral prayers for the young engineer were offered at the Jamia Sattaria near Nipa Chowrangi. A large number of people, including relatives and friends, attended the funeral.

“The country’s economic conditions are not good and talent is going abroad but what is happening to those who are serving the country? We demand justice,” Ibad, brother of the deceased youth, said while talking to the media.

The Gulshan-e-Iqbal police on Sunday registered a case against unidentified suspects on the complaint of another brother of the victim, Usman Moin, under the sections of robbery and murder.

According to the FIR, two assailants travelling on a motorcycle followed Irtaqa and robbed the youth of his motorcycle, mobile phone and cash. “When he resisted, they shot him, causing severe injuries that led to his death,” reads the FIR. “The bullet hit in the right side of his chest and exited from the left side.” Ibad said his younger brother had gone to a bakery to buy items for children and on his way back, robbers started following him and the incident took place near their home.

“One of the assailants shot Irtaqa and then searched him and stole his mobile phone and cash. They also took his motorcycle,” the brother told the media. Irtaqa was the sixth among his eight siblings, Ibad said, adding that the family had faith in the law enforcement agencies and they demanded that the culprits be brought to justice.

Taking notice of the incident, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar suspended the SHO of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station and ordered a departmental inquiry against him. Police investigators said they were trying to trace the suspects with the help of CCTV footage but no breakthrough has so far been achieved.

Political reactions

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Central Committee members expressed grief and concern over the killing of Irtaqa. "Lawlessness in Karachi has crossed all limits," stated members of the MQM Central Committee. "Youths of Karachi are being deliberately handed over to ruthless robbers while the Sindh government was busy singing 'all is well'," they added.

Sindh Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Haleem Adil Sheikh also condemned the incident and expressed his condolences with the bereaved family. "Robbers are publicly killing our children in Karachi," he stated and lamented that Karachi's peace had been

destroyed, and police had become politicised.

“The Sindh government has completely failed to establish law and order," the PTI leader said, adding that the police were only focused on arresting PTI workers. He demanded an immediate operation against the robbers in Karachi.