12 dead in fresh spate of violence in Karachi

“We can respond to bullets with bullets as well. But we don’t want to be a part of this war,” says Sarwat Ejaz Qadri.

KARACHI: Following the burial of a Sunni Tehreek sector-in-charge in Karachi, the Ahle Sunnat Waljamaat spokesperson and 11 others were gunned down on Sunday.

ASWJ Karachi chapter spokesperson Maulana Akbar Saeed Farooqi, 26, was killed in an assault on University Road after he was returning from a party protest. Unidentified armed men opened fire at him near Safari Park. He was taken to Liaquat National Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

“The National Crisis Management Cell had informed the Home Ministry of a hit-list, which also included Maulana Saeed’s name. He was at risk but the government did not provide him with any security despite repeated appeals,” ASWJ Karachi chief Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqi told The Express Tribune.

He further said that ASWJ men were being targeted across the country. “Nine Ahle Sunnat men were killed in Bhakkar, while three innocent madrassah students have been killed in Islamabad within three days.”



Sunni Tehreek leader laid to rest

Separately, the funeral of Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST) sector-in-charge, Javed alias Kaka, who was kidnapped and found dead from Gulshan-e-Maymar on Saturday, was held on Sunday at a shrine next to the Hari Masjid in Old City area.

Security was beefed up at his funeral. There were reports of indiscriminate firing in Old City areas, including Kharadar, Mithadar, Ranchore Lines, Aram Bagh and Garden before and after the funeral. Unknown suspects also set a bus on fire.

Meanwhile, a token sit-in was also organised after the funeral. PST has given a 24-hour ultimatum to the government and law-enforcement agencies and also announced mourning for three days. “We can respond to bullets with bullets as well. But we don’t want to be a part of this war,” said PST chief Sarwat Ejaz Qadri, addressing those who attended the sit-in.

“We do not want to create a Bhakkar-like situation in Karachi. The government and law-enforcement agencies should stop supporting the criminals.”

Other targeted killings

Bodies of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers were found from Ibrahim Hyderi on Sunday. Inquiry officer ASI Jumma Khan said that Raheel Jabbar, 26, and Tahir Munna, 25, lived in Korangi area from where they were kidnapped and shot dead by unidentified suspects on motorcycles.

In another incident, Akram Baig, a vendor by profession, was also shot dead in the Brigade police limits.

A rickshaw driver, 33-year-old Nadir Hussain, was gunned down when suspects on motorcycles sprayed his rickshaw with bullets in Korangi, within the Awami Colony police remits. His body was moved to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

In Noor Khan Goth, a man identified as Arif Khan was killed, while another, named Habib Bashir, was injured in firing inside their house. Police believed that the incident took place because of personal enmity. Investigation was under way until the filing of this report.

Twenty-year-old Samad Alam Bengali was shot dead outside his house in Zia Colony area.

Meanwhile, a young man was shot dead near Gulistan-e-Jauhar Chowrangi, within the limits of Sacchal police station. SHO Ghulam Ahmed said that at least two armed men on a motorcycle shot him dead. His body was moved to the Edhi morgue for identification.

Armed men killed another man, identified as Rana Kauser, in Baldia Town’s Saeedabad area. Police said that the motive behind the incident is yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, the bodies of three men were found separately from Pak Colony, Shahrae Faisal and Baldia Town. Police said that the victims were shot and killed after being kidnapped. Their bodies bore marks of torture.

The corpses were moved to Edhi morgue for identification.


Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2013.