Seven killed in latest wave of violence in Karachi

Unrest returned to Karachi as seven people were killed in firing incidents late on Monday night.

KARACHI: Unrest returned to Karachi as seven people were killed late on Monday night in firing incidents in different parts of the city.

Two people were killed in an alleged shootout with police near the Indus Plaza graveyard. Gadap Town SSP Rao Anwar claimed that the men were robbers. However, witnesses say that the two were killed by unidentified gunmen.

Meanwhile, a man was killed in a clash between rival groups in Sector Seven D area of Sarjani town.

Another two people were shot dead by unidentified men in Sohrab Goth.

The government has so far failed to curb killings in Karachi, with parties in the coalition, Awami National Party (ANP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), swapping allegations over the unrest in Karachi.

During a debate on the law and order situation in the Senate, senators from the two parties blamed each other for the target killings.

ANP’s Abdul Nabi Bangash alleged that the MQM was responsible for the killings, particularly of Pakhtuns, in Karachi. He claimed that a ‘militant wing’ of the party was responsible, as had allegedly been found out by an “authentic investigation report prepared by the agencies”.

While, Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Khan Ghauri rejected the allegations, saying the MQM as a political grouping wants an independent inquiry into the target killings.

The National Assembly on September 29 had adopted a unanimous resolution asks the government to take ‘pragmatic steps’ in order to control target killings in parts of the country, especially Karachi.