A Karachi police inspector was shot dead outside his home on Sunday, while his wife was injured in the same attack, The Express Tribune reported.
Inspector Javed Abro, a former station house officer, was having tea with his wife in the garden outside his house when two armed men pulled up on a motorcycle near Russian Market in Gulshan-e-Hadeed Phase III, Steel Town. One of them got off the bike and opened fire on the couple, then fled.
Abro was hit by several bullets, two of them in the chest, and died on the way to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in an Edhi ambulance. His wife was seriously wounded too, but doctors later said she was out of danger.
Karachi police inspector: what police know so far
SSP Malir Abdul Khaliq Pirzada said the injured woman had described the attacker to investigators. Early findings point to two men on the motorcycle, one of whom fired five or six shots at the couple.
Karachi AIG Azad Khan said it was too early to settle on a motive, and police and Counter Terrorism Department teams were looking at every possible angle. He said Abro had never mentioned any death threats to him, though police sources said the inspector had allegedly been receiving threats for some time.
Police teams reached the scene and gathered forensic evidence, and senior officers went to JPMC. After the medico-legal formalities, Abro’s body was taken to the Chhipa morgue.
The second killing in one family
The attack has renewed concern over a family that has now lost two of its police officers. In August 2025, Abro’s brother ASI Mohammad Khan Abro was shot dead outside his home as he returned from court. Jafar alias Bobby, the suspect allegedly involved in that murder, was later killed in a police encounter. Javed Abro was the complainant in his brother’s murder case.
Another brother, Inspector Yasin Abro of the traffic police, said two of his brothers had been killed, but he vowed to keep acting against criminal elements.
“We will not retreat from our operations against criminals and remain ready to lay down our lives for our homeland,” he said.
The inspector’s nephew Jahanzeb said the family had lost two members who served in the police. He appealed to the army chief, the Sindh police chief and the provincial government to make sure the family got justice. Javed Abro is survived by four children.
Home minister seeks report
Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar took notice and asked SSP Malir for a report. He told police to identify and arrest the suspects without delay and to protect officers and personnel. He also called for action against anyone threatening law and order, without exception.
The killing comes amid heavy pressure on Karachi’s police. The city has recorded 197 encounter killings this year, and questions about police accountability continue to surface, including the Lahore High Court’s rebuke over trial delays and the Gul Plaza case in Karachi’s courts.
At the same time, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has unveiled a Rs70 billion counterterrorism plan to rebuild its police, a sign of how far the strain on the force runs across the country. For the Abro family, the loss is personal: two brothers in uniform, both shot dead outside their homes.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the police inspector killed in Karachi?
Inspector Javed Abro, a former station house officer of Sindh Police, shot dead outside his home in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Steel Town, on Sunday.
What happened to his wife?
She was seriously wounded in the same attack but was later reported to be out of danger.
How many attackers were there?
Police say two suspects arrived on a motorcycle, and one of them got off and fired five to six shots at the couple.
Was this the first killing in the family?
No. His brother, ASI Mohammad Khan Abro, was shot dead outside his home in August 2025. Javed Abro was the complainant in that murder case.
What action has been ordered?
Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has sought a report from SSP Malir and directed police to identify and arrest the suspects without delay.
