KARACHI: An official of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), who was part of the anti-water theft team, was shot dead on the outskirts of the city near Hub Dam on Tuesday evening, police said.

SSP-West Faisal Bashir Memon said that the police were investigating the case to ascertain whether or not it was an incident of targeted killing.

Manghopir SHO Haji Sanaullah said Furqan Akhtar, 40, had left his office on a motorbike to visit the Hub filter plant.

He said that he was intercepted by armed motorcyclists, who fired at him with a 9mm pistol and escaped. He said they took away his motorbike and it appeared that they shot him when he put up resistance to their snatching bid.

The wounded Furqan was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

KWSB Chief Executive Officer Syed Salahuddin Ahmed and vice chairman Syed Najmi Alam demanded that the police track down the killer(s) immediately and bring them to justice.

Mr Salahuddin told Dawn that the victim was actively engaged in anti-theft operations in parts of the city. “He was a highly dedicated employee and complainant in several FIRs against water theft,” he added.

He said that police investigators did not rule out the possibility of targeted killing as he was fatally shot in the head.

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old woman died under mysterious circumstances in Shah Faisal Colony on Tuesday.

Police said that the body of Bushra Parveen, mother of three children, was found shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where doctors reserved the cause of death after a post-mortem examination.

Her husband, identified as Muhammad Ali, was taken into custody for investigation.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2022