M. Ijaz Mahmood, NEDian from mid-1960s, Shot and Killed in Houston, Tx

[Riaz Haq]

Rashid Yousuf, an NEDian and PakAlumni member, is reporting the tragic murder of an NEDian today in Houston, Tx. as follows:

We are having the burial of M. Ijaz Mahmood, NEDian after Jummah today.
He was from the mid-1960's batch and quite senior to our batch. After some period in the Gulf area, he settled in Houston and was semi-retired. He was a very jovial person - well liked among many groupings. He was very active in NEDian meetings in Houston.

His death is tragic because of the manner it occurred. He was working as a cashier at a check cashing place. Houston has many Mexicans who do not believe in using banks at all. To serve such people, many Pakistanis have started check cashing businesses which are constructed like fortresses. Ijaz created an innovation. He would go in a van, carrying sufficient cash, and park the van in front of various factories at quitting time. All went well for some time. On Monday, his luck ran out. Two criminals kidnapped him, shot him in the chest, then abandoned the van at an isolated place. The van was discovered Tuesday. After autopsy, the body was released late Wednesday or Thursday.