Second doctor shot dead in city this month

Karachi

In the second such attack this month, a doctor was gunned down by unidentified assailants at his clinic in the Korangi Industrial Area police limits on Monday.

Investigators identified the victim as 50-year-old Dr Firdous and said he was closing his Al-Shifa Clinic, located near Huzoor Chowk in Mehran Town, for the day when two men pulled up on a motorcycle and shot him at close range.

The attackers, police said, managed to make a clean getaway and the doctor was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment.

Dr Firdous was, however, pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Police said an empty 9mm bullet casing was found at the scene of the crime and investigations were underway.

This past Thursday, the District West Police claimed to have solved the murder case of a Hindu doctor who was shot dead on August 5.

The police had arrested two men for allegedly killing Dr Preetam Das for refusing to pay extortion money.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pir Mohammad Shah said the killing of Dr Das inside his Pak Colony clinic on August 5 was a blind murder case, and directives had been issued to the investigation team and also to the Pak Colony SHO to catch the culprits.

During the course of the investigation, SHO Mohammad Ayaz received a tip-off that some suspects involved in killings and taking extortion money from people were present in the Kala Gate area of Pak Colony.

Police conducted a raid and after an encounter arrested Abdul Rafiq and Fazal Karim with pistols.

During the questioning, the men admitted to extorting money from a number of people and killing Dr Das. 

They said they received instructions from their ringleader, Tahir, who had sent a chit to the clinic, demanding Rs20,000 from Dr Das.

The suspects were told to bring the extortion money, and while they were leaving for the clinic, Tahir gave them a pistol.

They then went to the clinic and demanded the amount from Dr Das.

When the doctor put up resistance, they said they shot him and fled after taking away his wallet, which contained his CNIC.

The doctor later died at hospital. SSP Shah said they had found the murder weapon and the slain doctor’s wallet.