Karachi: In an early Sunday morning shoot-out in volatile Lyari, Arshad Pappu, a key character of the turf war in the town, was gunned down along with his brother.
Police sources said that Pappu and his brother Arafat were killed at Brohi Chowk in Lyari by a rival group. Another of Pappu’s key lieutenants Juma Shera, alias Shera Pathan, was shot down on Adam Road.
Police said that they came to know about Pappu’s murder after the news that two unknown people had been killed in Lyari. Later on the bodies were recognised as those of Pappu and his brother Arafat.
The people of the neighbourhood took the bodies into their custody. However, Pathan’s body was moved to the Civil Hospital. Witnesses said that Pathan’s neck and other parts of the bodies had been cut.
There were also rumours that the two brothers might have been kidnapped first and later were killed.
Pappu was wanted in more than 50 cases of murders and many more cases were registered against him in Maripiur, Manghopir and Baldia Town police stations.
Pappu was the main rival of Uzair Baloch, the head of the banned People’s Peace Committee, which was being patronised by some senior leaders of Pakistan People’s Party.
The rivalry between Pappu and Baloch developed after Pappu allegedly murdered Baloch’s father who was known as Mama Faizo.
Baloch became hostile to the PPP after his committee was banned and a police operation was launched against him. However, lately the PPP leaders have been trying to bring Baloch back into the party’s fold as Lyari, once the PPP stronghold; could lose a seat in the upcoming elections without the Baloch support.
