Men on motorcycles go around attacking teashops

Another alarming trend of strangled bodies of Lyari residents found.

KARACHI:

Three teashops have been targeted and as a result six people have been killed in drive-by shootings in the latest stream of violence in Karachi.

These attacks took place in North Nazimabad and Gulistan-e-Jauhar from Tuesday night.

There were reports that the Karachi police has asked people running the popular chai stalls to shut down by 11pm. Additional IG Akhtar Gorchani told The Express Tribune that he did not issue any directives but it could be possible that the SHOs of the areas took the decision individually.

The last report received Wednesday named 15-year-old Rafiullah Aleem as a worker at a teashop. He was killed and three rickshaw drivers, Sattar, Asif and Hafeez, were wounded when at least two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire at the people sitting at a shop in Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Block 16.

In Taimuria, earlier, a teashop owner identified as Sanober Khalid, 24, and another man, Latif Sarwar, 26, were gunned down when armed men opened fire at the shop in Block M, North Nazimabad. Inquiry officer Rashid Jamal said that the teashop owner was on the target of two armed men who arrived there on a motorcycle.

The first such killing sparked tension in Pahar Ganj, Kati Pahari, Abdullah College Chowrangi and surrounding areas over the killing of three Awami National Party supporters. They were shot dead late on Tuesday night when men opened fire at people sitting at a teashop in Pahar Ganj of North Nazimabad

Other killings

A young resident of Chakiwara, Lyarim, identified as Imam Buksh, 22, was gunned down near Bakra Piri, said Kalakot police.

Also in Taimuria, the bodies of two trussed up young men were found. According to the inquiry officer, Rashid Jamal, they were thrown from a car. They had been strangled.

They were workers of Awami National Party and were identified as 25-year-old Mian Gul and 26-year-old Sardar Wali. They were associated with the Lyari’s Bihar Colony Ward.

In Liaquatabad, Rehan Sattar, 26, was gunned down when men opened fire at a hardware shop. DSP Wajahat Hussain called it a target killing.

Umm-e-Kulsoom, 50, was killed and her husband Shahid Rizvi, 55, was wounded when motorcyclist assailants sprayed their Suzuki Cultus car with bullets near Jheel Park. Ferozabad SHO Ejaz Khawaja said that the incident took place when the victims were on the way home to PECHS after visiting a relative in a private hospital in Ferozabad. They were resisting a robbery.

A 60-year-old Khanzada was gunned down in Gulbai, said SITE B Section police. He was a watchman who resisted being robbed.

Another young man’s body was found in Federal B Area within the limits of Azizabad police station. He was identified as Amanullah Baloch, 27, a resident of Chakiwara, Lyari. SHO Haseeb Qureshi said that the victim was strangled.

A donkey-cart vendor who has yet to be identified was gunned down near Ghas Mandi in Siddiq Wahab Road. Garden SHO Mutahir Hussain said that the victim was going somewhere after parking his cart when motorcyclists opened fire on him.

In Sohrab Goth, a 37-year-old woman identified as Yasmin Khan, was gunned down near her home in al-Asif Square.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2012.