17 killed in fresh wave of violence in Karachi

Five of the victims died in attacks motivated by sectarian hatred.


Our Correspondent January 05, 2014
The juice shop where three persons were gunned down on Saturday. PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI:


At least 17 people lost their lives in a fresh wave of violence that gripped the city on Saturday. Three members of the Shia community, two seminary students and two police officials, were among the victims.


The violence started in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal neighbourhood of the city where six gunmen opened fire at a restaurant near Maskan Chowrangi, killing three people. They were identified as the restaurant owner and his two employees.

Hours later, in an apparent reprisal attack two seminary students, affiliated with Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, were shot dead on Rashid Minhas Road. They were students of Jamia Arabia Ahsanul Uloom.

The third attack took place in the Pirabad area of Orangi Town where gunmen riding on motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fire on a police mobile van. As a result, two policemen and a civilian were killed. Another constable also sustained injuries in the shooting.

Separately, motorcyclists shot dead two dry fruit sellers in North Nazimabad neighbourhood, while a teenager was gunned down in the Jackson area of Kemari. A scrap dealer and a police officer were shot dead in the Saeedabad and Sacchal areas, respectively.

Meanwhile, four bodies were recovered from Pak Colony, Rizvia, Sohrab Goth and Shah Latif areas.  Rangers claimed that the current upsurge in sectarian violence was aimed at disrupting the law and order in the metropolis. Sources added that police had a few leads which pointed towards the involvement of political parties in fresh violence.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2014.

COMMENTS (2)

Shame on LEAs | 10 years ago | Reply

Shame on Rangers who are sucking Karachi for past so many years and have failed, because of lack of will, to curb the menace of terrorism. Everyday over Rs 22 crore get looted from citizens. Who can trust these people sent from other provinces, with no stakes in the city, to really do something about Karachi.

We need our police, our rangers, our nazim and our province.

bilal | 10 years ago | Reply

shame on Ranger and law enforcement agencies who failed to protect innocent civilians

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ