ISLAMABAD, FEB 23 (DNA) –  In a shocking homicide case in Islamabad, unidentified gunmen murdered a Careem captain in the early hours of Thursday and took away his car.

Junaid Mustafa, who was 26-years-old, was a Rawalpindi resident and was driving for taxi-hailing service Careem for the past three months.

He picked up unidentified person(s) from F-11 Markaz in Islamabad at around 2:35 am on February 22. The customer didn’t enter a drop-off location while booking the ride, which ended at 2:58am with 11 kilometres traveled. Police say Mustafa was found dead in Street 79, Sector G-13/1 a while later. He was shot with a 30-bore pistol multiple times in his chest and left arm. His right hand and arm also bore signs of injuries.

The gunmen took away his Suzuki WagonR along with its registration book and two mobile phones. Golra police have registered a murder case against unidentified persons but have so far found no clue in the case yet.

After Thursday’s murder, dozens of Careem captains have announced a strike today (February 23) against the company, saying its strict regulations were leaving no option for the captains but to accept rides to dangerous areas at night. Careem drivers have announced to hold a car rally from F-9 Park to D-Chowk on Friday afternoon.

Afzal, the Careem captain leading the protest, blamed the company for the murder of Mustafa.

He further added that recently, Careem had revamped it’s policy. The revision states that Careem captains can only request reassignment of accepted rides three times a week by calling the helpline. On the fourth time, the captain will be charged with Rs1,000 and a separate re-inspection of the car worth Rs500.