Police in Karachi have launched an investigation into a suspected honour killing after gunmen shot dead a woman and critically injured two men on Gulshan-e-Hadeed Link Road on Tuesday.
Fatima Zahra died at the scene, while her husband Akbar Ali and their companion Umair sustained serious gunshot wounds near the Attock Petrol Pump. Unidentified assailants riding in a white Suzuki Alto opened fire on the three individuals as they travelled on a single motorcycle. The attackers fled immediately after the shooting.
Fatima and Akbar married by choice some time ago, an act that led to an ongoing court case regarding their marriage. Investigators suspect members of Fatima’s family planned and executed the ambush due to the couple’s decision to marry without the approval of their relatives.
The couple and Umair were travelling from their residence in Dhabeji, Thatta, towards Korangi when they came under attack near a petrol pump, Steel Town Station House Officer (SHO) Javed Abro said.
Emergency responders initially transferred the surviving victims to a nearby hospital before moving them to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for specialized care. Medical staff reported that Akbar suffered six bullet wounds and remains in critical condition. Umair sustained two bullet injuries during the drive-by shooting.
Officers from the Steel Town police station secured the area following the incident and summoned the crime scene unit to collect physical evidence from the site. Law enforcement agencies have started a search operation to identify the vehicle, trace the gunmen, and arrest the individuals involved in the attack.
