...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
on Thursday killing senior police official Chaudhry Aslam Khan.
Chaudhry Aslam, who had survived numerous liquidation attempts in the past, died along with two other officers when the bomb targeted the convoy on the Lyari
...one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated. Lyari has few schools, substandard hospitals, a poor water system, limited infrastructure, and broken roads. It is a stronghold of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Ubiquitous gang activity and a thriving narcotics industry make Lyari one of the most disturbed places in Karachi, which is really saying a lot....
expressway in Karachi.
Senior police officer Iqbal Mehmood confirmed to news hounds that SP CID Chaudhary Aslam Khan died in the attack, which took place around 4:40 pm near the Essa Nagri area.
A jacket wallah smashed his vehicle into Aslam's convoy and he and two other coppers were killed, Iqbal Mehmood, a senior officer with the criminal investigation department, told news agency AFP.
The blast was so powerful that it threw the shattered wreckage of Aslam's vehicle some 20 metres (65 feet) from where it was hit.
The Mohmand agency chapter of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) grabbed credit for the attack.
Sajjad Mohmand, a front man for the hard boy group said Aslam was targeted for carrying out operations against the TTP. "Aslam was involved in killing Taliban prisoners in CID cells in Karachi and was on the top of our hit-list," he said.
Television channels showed that the powerful blast completely destroyed the bullet-proof car of the slain police officer.
This was not the first time that the Aslam was targeted by the banned group. The slain officer was targeted at least three times earlier for his bold stance against Talibs.
Aslam had been receiving threats from the Pak Taliban, which tried to kill him in September 2011 in a huge kaboom that tore off the front of his house in the port city.
After that attack he made a defiant appearance before the media, saying: "I will give my life but I won't bow to terrorists."
Earlier on Thursday Aslam had claimed the killing of three suspected members of the Pak Taliban in an encounter in the city.
Police are currently involved in an operation aimed at clearing Karachi of gunnies and hardcore criminals including hired killers, gun runners and drug peddlers.
Tributes, condemnations and condolence messages started pouring in from several high-profile politicians and officials on the liquidation of the senior officer.
"Chaudhry Aslam was a brave officer," said Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
. "We will not let the will of the nation be crushed by these cowardly acts by terrorists."