KARACHI: A worker of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was shot dead here on Thursday in a suspected targeted killing incident.

The victim reportedly worked for a weekly newspaper based in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas and a web channel.

The SHO of Iqbal Market police station, Asadullah Mangi, said that when Khalil Rehman, 39, came out of his home in Toori-Bangash Colony of Orangi Town a man riding a motorbike opened fire on him and fled. Mr Rehman sustained multiple bullet wounds and was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he died during treatment.

The police official said that the murder might be motivated by some personal enmity. The deceased left behind eight children.

PTI spokesperson and a member of the Sindh Assembly Jamal Siddiqi claimed that it was a ‘targeted killing’. He told Dawn that the victim was a senior worker of the party who was also ‘active’ on social media.

A local PTI leader, Amir Badshah, told Dawn that the deceased also worked for Tribal Times, a website which provides news about the tribal areas.

The victim’s family was involved in the water tanker service.

Mohammed Shoaib Mehsud, editor of Tribal Times, confirmed that Mr Rehman was their reporter in Karachi. In his recent Facebook account, the victim had stated that he was being threatened with dire consequences over ‘some social media comment’ but he did not elaborate.

Mr Mehsud said that Tribal Times’ Karachi bureau chief Nisar Ahmed told him that Mr Rehman was being threatened by drug peddlers over some social media posts against them.

According to PTI spokesperson Jamal Siddiqi, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail took notice of the incident and directed Inspector General of Police Dr Syed Kaleem Imam to ensure immediate and transparent investigation into the murder and submit a report to him.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2019