Police version: No clues to link killings to sectarian motives, says IG

Shahid Baloch denies the need for curfew during ongoing operation.

HYDERABAD: Sindh police have, so far, no answer for the sudden revival of targeted killings in Karachi on the eve of Muharram.

The provincial police chief, Shahid Nadeem Baloch, avoided from ascribing all the killings to a particular motive. He did, however, tacitly acknowledge that an attempt was being made to give the incidents a sectarian colour.

“There are no clues yet to link the killings to any particular factor,” the IG told a press conference on Tuesday. More than a dozen people have been shot dead in Karachi over the last two days — a large number of the killings appeared to have sectarian motives.



Baloch said the killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan’s chief Hakeemullah Mehsud could also lead to a surge in terrorist attacks in Muharram. He, however, assured that the police were maintaining close coordination with Ulema and mourners’ organisations to provide the best possible security.

Responding to a question about imposing curfew in Karachi while conducting door-to-door operations for the recovery of illegal weapons, the IG said that enforcing a curfew was not on the table. “The police and Rangers will only lay siege to the particular area,” he clarified.

Earlier, the IG held meetings with the DIGs of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana divisions. The SSPs from the districts of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions also separately briefed him about security arrangements for Muharram.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th,2013.