In a chilling act of violence, well-known legal figure Khawaja Shamsul Islam was shot dead while attending a funeral prayer in Karachi’s affluent Defence Phase 6 on Friday. His son, Advocate Khawaja Daniyal, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently being treated at a private medical facility.
The attack occurred near the Farhan Academy Mosque, where mourners had gathered to offer funeral prayers for Dubai-based businessman Muzammil Karim Paracha. The peaceful ceremony took a tragic turn when gunfire erupted just outside the mosque premises, striking both father and son amidst the crowd.
Attacker Identified as Son of Former Employee
According to DIG South Asad Raza, the attacker has been identified as Imran Afridi, son of a former gunman who once worked under Khawaja Shamsul Islam. Investigators believe Afridi held a longstanding grudge against the lawyer, blaming him for the 2021 death of his father.
Reports suggest Afridi had previously attempted to harm Khawaja Shams in an earlier, unsuccessful attack. On this occasion, however, he struck fatally and managed to flee the scene amid the chaos.
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SSP South Mehzor Ali shared that a witness overheard Afridi exclaiming that he had “avenged his father” as he escaped. Spent bullet casings were recovered from the scene and are now being forensically analyzed.
Citywide Hunt Underway
Following the killing, police launched a full-scale manhunt to apprehend Afridi. Security checkpoints were immediately set up across all major exit routes of Karachi, including Sohrab Goth. Law enforcement officers are rigorously inspecting vehicles, and detailed descriptions and photographs of the suspect have been circulated at all police and intelligence checkpoints.
Authorities are also analyzing surveillance footage from around the mosque and adjacent roads to trace the killer’s movements. According to DIG Raza, a “comprehensive arrest strategy” is in place, with intelligence teams deployed to track the fugitive.
Shock and Mourning Among Legal Circles
The murder has sent shockwaves through the legal and business communities of Karachi. Khawaja Shamsul Islam was a respected legal professional known for handling high-profile cases. His assassination has been met with widespread grief and outrage.
Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officer Raja Umar Khattab confirmed that the lawyer sustained three bullet injuries, including one to the heart. Despite being rushed to a hospital, he succumbed to his wounds during emergency treatment. His son, wounded in the lower body, was later transferred to South City Hospital.
A post-mortem examination corroborated the heart injury as the cause of death. Police are now re-investigating the previous attack on Shamsul Islam as part of the broader probe.
CCTV footage of the shooting has already been retrieved. Investigators are also exploring personal enmity as a possible motive, though no official conclusion has yet been drawn.
Karachi Bar Association Declares Strike
In response to the tragedy, the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) has condemned the assassination, describing it as an attack on the judiciary and legal professionals. The association has announced a citywide strike on Saturday to protest the killing and demand swift justice.
The incident took place during the funeral of Muzammil Karim Paracha, a tech entrepreneur who garnered national attention after purchasing Pakistan’s most expensive vehicle number plate — ‘A1’ — for Rs100 million. Paracha recently passed away in Dubai following a prolonged illness.
Conclusion
The brutal killing of Khawaja Shamsul Islam underscores the growing challenges to safety and rule of law in urban centers like Karachi. As investigations continue, the legal fraternity and broader civil society call for urgent action to bring the perpetrator to justice and prevent such targeted violence in the future.
