KARACHI: Violence enveloped the city on Wednesday as a fresh wave of politico-ethnic target killings claimed at least 30 lives. According to reports, the latest bout of violence has prompted the authorities to hand over the task of maintaining law-and-order to the Pakistan Rangers, under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).Two young men were shot dead at Abul Hasan Isphani Road on Thursday morning whereas sporadic firing is underway in the area.
Wednesday’s fatalities include activists of the Awami National Party (ANP), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Muhajir Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
The incidents of target killings triggered related violence, which included the torching of buses, forceful closure of markets, the burning of roadside stalls as well as the targeting of police personnel. The entire city was in the grip of tension, with public transport disappearing from the roads by early evening, as reports of the violence began to spread.
Schools and colleges across the city will remain closed on Thursday, while the papers scheduled for the day as a part of the on-going HSC examinations have been postponed. The violence began late Tuesday night when one Nabi Khan, an ANP activist and a mobile phone dealer by profession, was shot dead by armed men in the Shah Faisal Colony area. Later that night, an activist of the MQM, Mohammad Hanif, was shot dead in the same area. Armed men also resorted to firing near Unit-108 office of MQM in Shah Faisal Colony. As a result, Syed Asghar Ali and another MQM activist were injured.
Shah Faisal Town turned into a virtual war-zone, echoing with fire the entire night. The violence first spread to other areas when armed men ransacked a ward office of ANP in Dhoraji Colony, Bahadurabad. A shop, Mukaram Hardware, situated in Block-16 of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, was also torched.
On Thursday, an ANP rally that had been taken out to protest against the killing of
Nabi was ambushed by armed assailants near the Lucky Star area, in which the party’s Mehmoodabad ward president was killed.
Details of the deaths: Hafeez Ahmed Shakir, owner of Al-Rehman Medical Store, situated near Malik Sweets in Block-15, Federal B-Area was shot dead while he was heading home on his motorcycle (KAB-2285) late at night. The deceased was a resident of Chappel Garden.
On Wednesday morning, armed men riding a motorcycle shot and killed Abdul Hakim in Sir Syed police limits. The deceased was an ice-candy (Gola Ganda) seller and was sitting at a tea shop near UP Mor. He was said to be an activist of ANP and a resident of Bilal Colony, New Karachi. He has left behind a widow and a son.
Wali Mohammed, 40, a trader, was shot dead in Risala police limits on Tuesday. The deceased was running a shoe shop in the Light House area and was also residing in the same area. He was off-loading a consignment of China-made shoes outside his shop, when armed men riding a motorcycle shot him dead and fled. The deceased was a member of Light House Association and hailed from Quetta.
After the incident, the Light House shopkeepers pulled down shutters and launched a protest on Wednesday morning and demanded the immediate arrest of the killers. Bakht Zada, 35, was shot dead by armed men riding a motorcycle near Daata Nagar in Orangi Town police limits. The deceased was a supporter of ANP and running a cement block shop near his house in Sector-1C, Orangi Town.
The protest rally by activists and leaders of ANP, who staged a demonstration at the Governor House against the murder of Ghulam Nabi, was attacked by unidentified armed motorcycle riders near Lucky Star, Saddar, as a result President of ANP Mehmoodabad Ward Abdul Rehman was killed and three party activists including Kashif and Asif sustained injuries. Armed men then resorted to aerial firing and forced the shopkeepers to pull down shutters in Empress Market and Electronics Market in Saddar.
The police said that they recovered more than 50 empty bullet shells from the area. A rickshaw driver Anjum Khan, 30, was shot dead by two armed men riding a motorcycle near Chandni Chowk, Paposh. The deceased was said to be an activist of ANP.
Ameen Khan was shot dead by armed motorcycle riders in Quaidabad area, while he was working at D-7 mini-bus stand in Majeed Colony. The deceased was also an activist of ANP. Another ANP activist Niaz Mohammed was shot dead while he was traveling on his motorcycle near Old Eidgah police station in Risala police limits. The deceased was a resident of Metroville SITE.
Unidentified armed men ransacked the ANP ward office in Mehmoodabad No-5, while the bullet-riddled body of Shahid Khan, was found lying in a lane opposite Makro in SITE police limits. A local tea hotel owner, Moosa Khan, was shot dead by armed men in Gulberg police limits late Wednesday night.
Police sources said that the deceased was the owner of Quetta Tea hotel situated on Hadi Road. The deceased was present at his shop when two armed men on a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire at Khan, killing him on the spot, and fled.
The deceased was residing in Moosa Colony area. Ajab Khan was shot dead by armed men in Sharea Noor Jehan police limits. Police sources said that, the deceased was sitting at a local tea hotel situated near Qalanderia Chowk, when armed men riding on motorcycle shot him and fled. The deceased was an activist of the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Armed men killed three persons in Model Colony police limits. According to the police, the incident took place in the Moinabad area, where unidentified armed men riding on motorcycles opened indiscriminate fire killing three persons on the spot.
They added that, of the three, two were identified as Azizullah Khan and Mohammed Nabi Khan, while the third is unidentified. In yet another case, armed motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fire at a general store, injuring a man, Jehangir Khan, and killing his five-year-old son, Hamza, in Landhi police limits. Police sources said that the incident took place in the Khurramabad area.
Unidentified armed men torched three buses in the Sachal Goth area, while a travel agency was torched on Daudpota Road. Syed Haider Ali, 35, Hamza along with Nadeem were killed in Al-Falah police limits. Police sources said that Haider Ali was a resident of Golden Town, Shah Faisal, and on Wednesday night was at Rafay-e-Aam society along with his son Hamza having his motorcycle repaired.
Unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire, in which Haider was killed, while his son Hamza was injured. The motorcycle mechanic Nadeem was also killed. The deceased Haider Ali was an activist of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Fazal Mohammed, 50, was shot dead in the Awami Colony police limits. Police sources said that the deceased was a driver and working at Rehmat Rent-A-Car shop situated in Korangi No-6.
On Wednesday night, while he was on duty, armed men riding on motorcycle shot him and fled. The deceased was a supporter of the ANP. Rana Mohammed Younus, 60, was shot dead in Shah Latif police limits. Police sources said that, the deceased was an activist of the MQM and former councilor of the MQM in Quaidabad.
On Wednesday night, he was present at Murghi Khana, Quaidabad, when armed men riding on a motorcycle shot him and fled. The deceased was the resident of the same area. Late on Wednesday night, two police constables of the Pirabad Police Station, who were on patrol near the Abaseen Hotel, Abdullah College Road, Pirabad, were attacked by unidentified men. The two policemen are said to be in a critical condition at the hospital when this report was filed.
In Risala police limits, Head Constable Mohammad Asad was shot dead near his residence at the Garden Police Lines. Asad, who was posted at the Saddar Town office, was in civvies when he was attacked.
The city situation, remained tense till the filing of this report and the worst affected areas included: Landhi, Quaidabad, Shah Latif, Shahra-e-Noor Jehan, Orangi Town, Peerabad, North Nazimabad, Mehmoodabad, Saddar, Preedy, Risala and SITE, as the armed men kept resorting to aerial firing and forcing the traders to shut businesses.
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