Short-lived peace in Lyari: Third day of gang war claims 14 lives

Law enforcers continue to conduct raids but unable to stop the violence.

KARACHI:

The third consecutive day of violence in Lyari, between two gangs of the area, claimed the lives of 14 people on Saturday while the sounds of rockets and gunshots echoed till late in the night.

Bodies of nine people reached the Civil Hospital, Karachi where a state of emergency was declared to cope with the backlash of the violence in Lyari. “Most of them [victims] were dead by the time they reached the hospital,” said the medico-legal officer. “They were shot multiple times, some even more than ten times.”

The fresh spate of gang war between the notorious gangster, Baba Ladla, and the outlawed Peoples Amn Committee began on Thursday while the law enforcers were conducting raids. To avoid arrests, members of Uzair Baloch’s group fled to the area dominated by Baba Ladla. As soon as they entered his turf, Ladla’s gang members opened fire as they were under the impression that the men from the rival group had come to attack them. Three people were killed the first day with reportedly no links to either party.



On Friday, however, the killings became targeted - two members of Baba Ladla’s group and one of Uzair Baloch were killed along with one passer-by. A notorious gangster, Jabbar Langra of Ladla’s group was killed in an alleged encounter with the Rangers. Early Saturday morning, another known gangster of Ladla’s group, Yousuf Shah, was killed during an alleged encounter with the Rangers and police. Four alleged gangsters associated with the Wasihullah Lakho group of Lyari gangsters were also apprehended with a huge cache of hand grenades, weapons and ammunitions in their possession.

Law enforcers off their game

Around 14 deaths were reported till the filing of this report while Lyari SP Shahnwaz Khan confirmed 11 killings and more than one dozen injured. But the police were hazy on the details of the deceased’s affiliation with political or criminal groups or if they were merely passers-by.

“We have no idea who has been killed and by whom,” DSP Shakeel Ahmed told The Express Tribune, who said that he, along with his SHOs and SSP, were “taking action” in Lyari in their armoured personnel carrier.

Sources, however, said that four men - Fahim Baloch, Yousuf Masih, Younus Masih and Mohammad Ali - were associated with the Baba Ladla group and were believed to have been kidnapped. Their tortured bodies were found separately from areas of Bihar Colony, Lea Market and Aath Chowk. The number of kidnapped person, from both parties, is also unknown to law enforcers.

Gangs fight, people suffer

Residents, who are used to on and off gang wars in the area, were yet again confined to their homes as stepping out for even food meant risking their lives. Along with shortage of food, people also faced electricity problems as several PMTs were damaged by rockets, grenades and bullets.

“We haven’t left our houses but they can’t save us from rockets and grenades,” said a fearful resident of Kalakot. The Karachi Electric Supply Company is aware of the damages but cannot enter the violence-struck areas. “We want to go inside Lyari to repair the damages but cannot do so till the law enforcers give us a go-ahead,” said the power utility’s spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the Rangers reportedly conducted a targeted raid in Mohalla Wochani and Koila Mandi and rescued two abductees, Marwan Shoaib and Zeehsan Ali. According to Rangers’ spokesperson, three gangsters, with weapons in their possession, were also arrested.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2013.