A young man was shot dead and another injured during a clash at a shisha café in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, triggering unrest and protests by enraged individuals, police said on Friday.
The incident occurred within the limits of the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station near the Continental Bakery in Block 3, where a dispute reportedly escalated into gunfire inside a shisha café.
Two youths suffered bullet injuries and were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where one of them, identified as 22-year-old Najeeb Ali, son of Niaz Ali, succumbed to his injuries. The other victim was identified as Adnan, son of Khalid Hussain.
Following the incident, a large number of relatives, friends and area residents gathered at the scene. Angry demonstrators ransacked the café, damaged property and blocked the road in protest.
According to police, the deceased was associated with the youth wing of a political party. Friends of the victim alleged that the café was involved in providing illegal substances, and they had gone there to check if local youngsters were frequenting the place.
A local political worker, Taufiq Ahmed Mangi of PS-100, claimed that Najeeb was also a party office-bearer and a member of an organising committee. He alleged that when they approached the café management to shut down illegal activities, a security guard misbehaved, leading to an altercation.
He further alleged that the café owner, his son and several associates opened fire, fatally shooting Najeeb in the chest, while another youth was shot in the leg.
Mangi said the café owner openly boasted of paying monthly bribes of Rs300,000 to Rs400,000 to police and claimed influence, though these allegations could not be independently verified.
Police said the clash erupted after a verbal dispute between the victim’s group and the café management, during which the security guard opened fire. Law enforcement authorities have detained three suspects, including the security guard, identified as Akram, and the café manager, along with weapons.
A case has been registered under sections 302, 324 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the brother of the deceased. The deceased was a resident of Bhittai Abad, and originally hailed from Gambat in District Khairpur Mirs. He was associated with the real estate business.
The CCTV camera footage of the shooting incident has also surfaced, shedding light on the sequence of events. The footage shows a group of youth entering the café and pushing a security guard.
Some individuals can be seen attempting to snatch the guard’s weapon, after which they overpowered him, threw him onto the ground and began assaulting him. During the scuffle, the security guard opened fire. As soon as shots were fired, people at the scene ran in panic. The footage also shows one man injured in the firing, while another individual is seen grabbing the security guard and taking him away.
Following the incident, police carried out a raid and detained six individuals, including the café manager and the security guard, who were taken to the police station. The FIR names five known suspects, including the café manager and the security guard, along with two to three unidentified persons
