KARACHI:
Fear and panic kept the city in its grip again on Wednesday evening, after a new wave of violence ensued after an Awami National Party (ANP) activist was killed and another injured.
According to SP Tanvir Alam Odho, Zainul Abideen, the joint secretary of ANP Patel Para Ward and Sajid Hasanzai, the president, were on their way to Patel Para after meeting with Mohammad Khan Afridi in New Karachi when two armed motorcyclists shot at their car.
Hasanzai said that Abideen sped the car as the men kept shooting. They reached the intermediate board office from where other party workers took them to a private hospital on stadium road, where Abideen died. He had been shot four times.
As the news spread, violence erupted in Patel Para, Teen Hatti, Guru Mandir Chowrangi, Banaras, Lasbella, Essa Nagri, Pehlwan Goth, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Sohrab Goth, Lasbella Chowk and Nishtar Road. Two more people died, one in Gulbahar and another in PIB Colony. The ANP has called for a day mourning on Thursday. Karachi Transport Ittehad also announced not to ply the buses on the roads.
PIB aftermath
Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan has ordered a judicial inquiry into the murder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement sector committee member Mansoor Mukhtar and his brother Masood Mukhtar and the ensuing violence in its aftermath.
After chairing a meeting with Home Secretary Sohail Akber Shah and Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, Wasan gave orders for a judicial inquiry to be presided over by a district south sessions judge. The findings will be presented to the Sindh government but no deadline has been set.
In another attempt to tame the violence the home department re-imposed a ban on carrying weapons which was lifted on March 12.
The home department had earlier reasoned that it was lifting the ban so that citizens had a recourse to self defence as extortion and street crime had risen. But now, the ban has been brought back with the argument that the situation in the city has deteriorated.
Wasan offered his condolences to the MQM, saying that they are coalition partners in the government and they will guarantee that justice will prevail. “All stakeholders in Karachi, not just our partners in the government, including the ANP and smaller parties need to sit together to achieve peace in the city.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2012.
COMMENTS (12)
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@sher shah suri: You need a recap of the Sub-Continent history too.. Muhajirs were the one who sacrificed their land possessions and their lives for the sake of a separate homeland.. and since that day we(muhajirs) are being dealt with inferiority. We need our rights too by hook or by crook.
One day MQM have to accept the reality that Pukhtuns also own the city of lights. They light the city with their labour, the guard the houses of Karachites with Chukidars. Now they have risen to the upper middle class and ask for the political and economic right. The day MQM accept this reality, Karachi again will prosper and will be a dream of Pukhtuns.
MQM will never defeat Pakhtun by force. MQM should read the history of Sub-continent. It would be better for MQM to live in peace.
@waleed bihari: Without your islamic sermons, many countries are in peace and progressing. The main problem is you people always bring religion in every aspect of life which is not working. The government, if having guts, should ban both MQM and ANP or brand them as terrorist organisations.
@T+: (tanzeel)
what about the killing of MQMer, it was a robbery case, because in targeting killing no one looted the households, money and jewelary. but unfortunately 8 killed and almost 50 vehicles torched. Simply a shameful act.
So much for "normalcy" claimed by ET yesterday. It was just a pause for another round. Inept provincial and federal government is/has been completely incapable of controlling both of its allies and take meaningful actions for a lasting solution.
ANP has accepted that its worker was killed in a private feud with other ANP workers. Then why still there is a strike in Karachi?
All parties in power are responsible and have share in current conditions. They are securing their gangs in one way or another. Police and law enforcement agencies are tied. They simply don't care.
Inside story of ANP worker murder in Karachi. ANP worker Zain ul Abedin and Sajid Hasan Zai got injured in a dispute with their friends but ANP burnt the whole city. The killing was a internal dispute of ANP workers and he was killed under suspicious circumstances. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZn60lcepWI&feature=youtu.be
May ALLAH give us Hidayah. This all due to keep away ourselves from Din-e-Mohammadi (S.A.W). All problem's solution are hidden in ISLAM. Follow ISLAM to spread and implement love, honesty, peace, justice and unlimited virtues.
Karachites have rejected so called mourning call given by ANP. Thank God city's back to normalcy now!
This is the conspiracy against the Karachi the financial hub of Pakistan and it seems the internal fight of land grabbers and drug traders among themselves. May God mercy on Karachitees from tribal and feudal mindset.