MOHAMMAD SHAHID, AN MQM OFFICE BEARER, EXTRA-JUDICIALLY MURDERED BY POLICE IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN

17 July 1999

The police in Karachi have once again resorted to the most horrifying method of eliminating the innocent MQM leaders, workers, supporters and their relatives. Today Mohammad Shahid, an MQM office bearer was extra-judicially murdered in a so-called "police encounter".

According to details on 16 July1999, at around 10 p.m., the personnel of Liaquatabad Police Station raided the residence of Mohammad Shahid, near Erum Bakery in Liaquatabad No. 4, Karachi, and arrested him. He had came to his house to meet with his father, who is very ill. He was immediately subjected to severe torture. In the early hours of 17 July 1999, at around 2 a.m., the police party started firing in the air to portray that a police encounter is taking place. During this Mohammad Shahid was most brutally murdered by several gunshots fired from very close range.

As usual the Police is claiming that an encounter took place whereas the area residents are witness that no such encounter ever occurred and that Mohammad Shahid was arrested at around 10 p.m.

Marks of torture were visible on the corpse of Mohammad Shahid. His right arm was fractured from two places. His face was swollen due to severe beating. Bullet mark on his shoulder was visible and another bullet wound right below his chest was very much evident.

Mohammad Shahid 32, son of Dilawar, was a resident of Liaquatabad, Karachi. He was the Member of MQM Liaquatabad Sector Committee. He was married and had four daughters and a son. He was an employee of Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and served as a Law Officer.