From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Suspect Khurram Nisar, who shot dead policeman Abdul Rehman in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase V area late Monday night, has fled to Sweden.
As per police sources, Khurram took an international airline’s flight via Istanbul which will land in Sweden.
The suspect used his Swedish passport to run away from Pakistan, police sources shared. Khurram, son of a former deputy commissioner, shot a policeman dead following an altercation DHA) Phase V.
The martyred cop, Abdul Rehman, and his colleague chased the suspected shooter, identified as Khurram Nisar and spoke to him after they allegedly noticed suspicious activity.
A couple of video footage showed an altercation between Rehman and Nisar. Footage of the shooting was recorded via CCTV camera in which Rehman and Nisar step out from the passenger seat and driver’s seat, respectively, of a black vehicle with tinted windows.
In the same video, the cop can be seen holding a pistol and gesturing Nisar to sit in the car and go to the police station.
According to the police, Nisar, came to Karachi from Sweden on November 5. He lives there with his wife and two children.
DIG South Irfan Baloch told Geo News that the cop accompanying Rehman recorded his statement, according to which they saw Nisar forcing a woman to sit in the car near Boat Basin.
Baloch said that when the cops approached Nisar, the woman fled, while they tried to control him, but couldn’t get hold of his gun as he resisted. This was when Rehman sat in the car with Nisar, while the other cop chased it.
The DIG said that the cops tried to take Nisar to Darakhshan Police Station, but he increased the speed of his car. At this, Rehman tried to stop Nisar and both of them got out of the car. The two engaged in an argument and pulled their guns on each other, he added.
According to Baloch, Nisar’s home in Karachi is near the crime scene in DHA Phase 5, where he left the car used in the incident at home and fled in another car.
The police raided Nisar’s house and seized weapons, documents and the vehicle used during the shooting. The house watchman was also detained.
The police say that a copy of Nisar’s passport has also been seized and a search is underway to find the vehicle he escaped in. The houses of his friends are also being searched, while pictures of Nisar and details of his travel documents have been provided across airports. Meanwhile, the statement of the cop accompanying Rehman is also being investigated.
The case of the murder of the policeman was registered on the complaint of a sub-inspector at Darakhshan Police Station.
The suspected shooter faces charges of terrorism, murder, and shootout with police, officials said.
Rahman, the martyred cop, was shot in the right temple. Initial medical examination showed the slug of the bullet got stuck in the head, according to the First Information Report (FIR).
The FIR also contains the detailed statement of the deceased cop’s partner, a constable, who was at the scene.
According to the police, both cops, members of the elite Shaheen Force, were on a motorcycle patrolling routine, when they heard screams of a woman coming from a sedan near a traffic light in Khayaban-e-Shamsheer, Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase V.
“The martyred cop, in the line of duty, sped after the black car and intercepted it near Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s mausoleum as soon as the driver pulled over. He then opened the front passenger side door and sat in the car. However, as soon as he got in the car, a girl sitting in the backseat bolted out of the vehicle,” the police FIR said.
Later, as per the FIR, the car moved ahead and stopped after covering some distance. “During the drive, the cop and the shooter had a heated argument. They stopped and both the cop and the driver came out of the car each toting a gun. At that point, the driver took aim and shot the cop. The bullet hit him in the side of the head, killing him instantly,” the police said. The FIR also said that the cop fired at the shooter, but missed.
Earlier in conversation with reporters, SSP South Asad Raza shared the identity of the accused. He had shared that his accomplice was taken into custody, while the weapon and car used in the incident had been recovered.
SSP Raza said that the suspect opened fire at the cop, fatally injuring him when the policemen tried to take the former to the police station.
He said that the suspect tried to stop a car and he aimed to kidnap a woman. According to the initial statement by the police, a woman was inside the suspect’s car. But the woman reportedly sitting inside the suspect’s car is yet to be tracked down.
The SSP said that the suspect fired two to three gunshots from inside his car and drove away.
He further said that Nisar travelled to Karachi from Sweden on November 5. The airport and highways authorities have been informed about the matter in order to prevent any attempt by the suspect to flee, he added.
The SSP requested the people to inform the police if they have any information about the suspect. Moreover, he said that Rehman also opened fire at the suspect in retaliation.
The post-mortem report revealed that Rehman sustained a single shot in the head that caused his death. Police say the bullet was shot from close range with a 9mm pistol.
Another video that was the first to surface, reportedly filmed by the cop accompanying Rehman, showed Nisar standing outside the driver’s seat door while Rehman — who couldn’t be seen in the video — questioned Nisar while filming the suspect with his phone.
As per the details, the cop asked the suspect why did he take out the weapon. At this, the suspect said that his weapon was licensed and that he can point it toward anyone he wants.
“You took out the gun; so did I,” the suspect was seen saying this to the cop sitting inside his car. The video raised questions about the police’s role as the incident was reportedly filmed by a cop.
In their statement during the investigation, according to the police, Nisar’s parents have “disowned” him and claimed that they have no idea about the suspect’s whereabouts.
“Khurram comes to Pakistan once a year. We have no idea what he does when he comes to Pakistan. We cannot take any responsibility for his actions,” the parents told the investigators.
