ANP’s Liaquat Tension among 12 killed in city

Man confesses to having killed his wife over a domestic dispute on Sunday.

KARACHI:

On Sunday, the death toll climbed to 12, as Awami National Party’s (ANP) Liaquat Bangash alias Liaquat Tension died in an encounter with the authorities in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

No one knows what happened as it was unclear if Bangash was shot, slipped or killed himself.

According to the police, Rangers were leading the raid and they went as backup. However, Rangers disagree and claim that they were not there and Bangash was killed in a police operation.

The autopsy report showed that Bangash’s bones were broken and it was possible that he jumped off a building.

Tension gripped the area as news of Bangash’s death spread. Party workers and supporters staged protests and opened fire in Safoora Goth, Pehlwan Goth, University Road, Lasbella, Patel Para and Old Sabzi Mandi. Three men were reportedly injured. The police arrested two suspects. A heavy contingent of Rangers was sent to monitor the area.

While speaking at a press conference, Crime Investigation Department AIG Ghulam Shabbir Sheikh said that Bangash jumped off a building in Rabiya City in a raid conducted by the Rangers. “When the raid was carried out there was a lot of firing,” he said. “We had cordoned off the area and Bangash was trying to escape. He jumped off a building and he died. By the time we got to the body some people started firing at us. Our men were also injured.” He added that Bangash had a criminal record and was involved in several target killing cases.

According to the AIG, the autopsy showed that the fall had broken Bangash’s ribcage.

Discussing new strategies, AIG Sheikh said that the police had received shoot on sight orders. “There are only 10 per cent criminals left in Karachi,” he said. “Around 80 per cent of the people are just common residents and the other 10 per cent is the police.”

The ANP Sindh general secretary Bashir Jan condemned the incident and called for a police probe. “We are not blaming anyone for the murder,” he said. “What the police is saying is wrong. There were torture marks on his body which shows that he was murdered.” He added that Bangash’s party membership was revoked over some administrative issues but he remained a ward president and was district security in-charge.

In an unrelated incident, the Baghdadi police found the bodies of two men identified as 31-year-old Asif Patni and Ayub, 30, in Lyari. They claimed that a group of men on four motorcycles brought Patni and Ayub to a nullah and opened fire at them. SHO Ghulam Nabi Afridi said that both men were cousins and had gone missing on Saturday. He added that Ayub and his cousins were supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The bodies of three unidentified men were found near the Super Highway, said the Gadap City police. According SP Jan Muhammad, they had collected the fingerprints to identify the men and trace their families. Initial investigation suggested that the suspects used two cars and had kidnapped the men before killing them. A similar incident happened in Memon Goth a week ago. The police believe that there is a link between the two cases. The Sohrab Goth police said that they found the bodies of a man and a woman from Akbar Farm House in Ayub Goth. In an unrelated incident a security guard identified as Syed Zaheer Abbas was shot dead. The police claimed that he was on his way to work in Kharadar. A six-year-old Hamza Khan was killed while eight-year-old Imran Khan was injured in Quaidabad. A woman identified as Rubina was murdered by her husband, said the Khokhrapar police. The husband was arrested and confessed to the murder. A policeman identified as Naseem was shot dead while his son was injured in Surjani Town.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2012.