The Darakshan Police on Saturday registered a case against eight nominated suspects under terrorism and murder charges for killing senior lawyer Khawaja Shamsul Islam and critically injuring his young son inside a mosque in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority a day prior.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza had told Dawn.com on Friday that the firing took place after prayers at a mosque in DHA Phase 6. “As advocate Khawaja Shamsul Islam and his son [Khawaja Daniyal, 25] were about to leave the mosque, a lone gunman apparently resorted to firing on them and fled,” the DIG had said.
The Darakshan Police registered a first information report (FIR) today upon the complaint of the victim’s brother and under Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 302 (premeditated murder) and 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
“My brother Khawaja Shamsul Islam, along with his two young sons and two guards had gone to offer Friday prayers and attend funeral prayers at the Quran Academy mosque located on Khayaban-i-Rahat, Phase 6,” the FIR read.
“He was picking up his slippers at the staircase of the mosque when [the suspect] fired two shots at around 2:30pm. As a result, one bullet hit my brother and another hit his son. The suspect managed to escape while taking advantage of the rush.”
The complainant added that the victim’s younger son was unharmed in the incident and took his injured father to a private hospital in Clifton, while unidentified persons took the injured son to another private hospital in the same locale.
“Khawaja Shamsul Islam expired during treatment while his son was admitted with critical injuries,” the FIR added.
The complainant alleged that the primary suspect, along with 15-20 accomplices, attacked the lawyer last November, in which he was shot twice and tortured. The case was registered with Clifton police under terror and other charges.
“Now, the suspect, his two brothers and five other suspects attacked together … resulting in the death of the lawyer and serious injuries to his son,” the complainant stated, adding that the incident also triggered fear and chaos among the general public.
The complainant said he wanted legal proceedings against the nominated suspects over terrorism, murder charges and criminal conspiracy.
DIG Raza also told Dawn.com, “The prime suspect has confessed to the crime in a recorded video message.”
On Friday, the DIG constituted a special team under the supervision of the South senior superintendent of police to arrest the suspects who murdered the advocate and injured his son.
He had added that the prime suspect was the son of a police constable deployed for Islam’s security in the past, as witnesses heard him saying that he had taken “revenge” for the murder of his father.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Karachi Bar Association condemned the murder of Islam and announced that its members would not appear before any court today to express solidarity with the slain senior lawyer.
