Police in Karachi have formed a high-level team to investigate the Javed Abro killing, after the inspector was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle in Steel Town on Sunday evening.
Abro, 55, died in the shooting, and his wife was hurt. The couple were having tea in the front garden of their home when the two attackers rode up and opened fire, officials said.
Karachi police chief Azad Khan said the team would be led by the Malir senior superintendent of police, with the investigation superintendents of Malir and Korangi and the Malir divisional superintendent also on it. He was speaking to Dawn.
Javed Abro killing: police keep an open mind on motive
Abro had served as a station house officer. On the motive, the city police chief said investigators were keeping every option open.
His son Hammad said guards had been posted for the former SHO’s protection, but his father had sent them on leave about a week earlier. He said his father usually travelled alone, and he demanded that the killers be traced and arrested.
Yaseen Abro, the former SHO’s brother, told reporters the family had no personal feud with anyone. He said his brother had spent his career taking on criminals as a police officer.
He also recalled that another brother, police officer Mohammed Khan Abro, was killed in August 2025. The family has now lost two brothers in uniform in just over a year.
Funeral prayers held on Sunday night
Abro’s funeral prayers took place at police headquarters in Karachi’s Garden area on Sunday night, with AIG Azad Khan, Sindh Inspector General Javed Alam Odho and other senior officers attending.
Abro had security cover, but he had sent the personnel away himself, and the attack came at his own home in the evening.
Javed Abro killing: what happened on Sunday
The attack happened near Russian Market in Gulshan-e-Hadeed Phase III, Steel Town, Feature Pakistan reported on Monday. One of the two men got off the motorcycle and opened fire on the couple. 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, but doctors later said she was out of danger.
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.
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. Police sources said the inspector had allegedly been receiving threats for some time, although Abro had never mentioned any death threats to the police chief.
Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar took notice of the killing and asked SSP Malir for a report, telling police to identify and arrest the suspects.
The killing comes in a year when Karachi police encounters have killed 197 people between January 1 and October 25, according to official figures reported earlier this month. Deaths in custody have also drawn scrutiny in the city this year.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Javed Abro?
Javed Abro was a 55-year-old police inspector and former station house officer in Karachi. He was shot dead outside his home in Steel Town on Sunday evening, November 8.
What happened in the attack?
Abro and his wife were having tea in the front lawn of their house when two assailants arrived on a motorbike and opened fire. Abro was killed and his wife was wounded.
Who is investigating the killing?
A team headed by the Malir senior superintendent of police has been formed. It includes the Malir and Korangi investigation superintendents of police and the Malir divisional SP.
Is there a known motive?
No. Karachi police chief Azad Khan said investigators were keeping an open mind and looking at all possible angles. Abro’s brother said the family had no personal enmity with anyone.
Was Abro’s family targeted before?
Yes. His brother, police officer Mohammed Khan Abro, was killed in August 2025. The family has now lost two brothers in uniform in just over a year.
