KARACHI: Five suspected gang members, including commanders of Lyari gangs allegedly involved in over 220 murders, and a suspected criminal were killed in separate encounters with law enforcement agencies in the metropolis on Friday.
Two alleged commanders of the Baba Ladla and Uzair Jan Baloch groups were killed during an encounter with the Rangers in Lyari. They were later identified as Faiz Muhammad alias Lala Orangi and Muhammad Naeem alias Kalakot.
According to a Rangers spokesperson, the encounter took place when the paramilitary force conducted a targeted raid at Aath Chowk, as part of a wider intelligence-driven operation being carried out to hunt down high-profile gang members in Lyari. The gangsters opened fire at the Rangers in an attempt to flee, but the law enforcers retaliated, killing two of the suspects while their accomplices managed to escape. Weapons were seized from their possession.
The spokesperson claimed that Faiz Muhammad, a member of the Baba Ladla group who was working against the Uzair Jan Baloch group, had been involved in more than 59 cases of murder, as well as rapes and other crimes. Meanwhile, Naeem had allegedly been involved in 42 killings, including that of ex-councillor Jamil, who was associated with the Pakistan Peoples Party. However, other sources said that Faiz Muhammad had been detained a few days ago and had been shifted to an undisclosed location.
In a similar raid, the Rangers also claimed to have killed another gang member, later identified as Younus alias Madi, at Singu Lane in Lyari. Younus was allegedly associated with the Ustad Taju group of the Uzair Jan Baloch gang, and was involved in more than 40 murders, including those of five political party workers and police officer Riaz Tanoli.
Meanwhile, Lyari police reportedly killed another Lyari gang commander, Nadeem alias Japan Wala, in an alleged encounter at Purana Haji Camp in Lyari. SSP Sheeraz Nazeer said that the slain criminal was affiliated with the Baba Ladla group and was the main accused in the Jhat Pat market attack that killed 16 people, including 12 women and children. The official added that Nadeem had killed more than 60 people, including his brother Jahanzeb and a policeman, Zaman, in 2009.
In Mehmoodabad, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) police killed a suspected gang member during an alleged encounter at Chanesar Goth. CID officials claimed that the encounter took place when they conducted a raid at a gang hideout, adding that they met with gunfire and retaliated, killing a suspect. He was later identified as Sardar Saqib, who was linked to the old Ashok Kumar group and was wanted in more than 20 cases of murder.
In a separate incident, a suspected criminal was killed during an encounter with the police in Federal B Area. Samanabad police officials said that two suspects were trying to escape after looting a restaurant when they were intercepted by police personnel on routine patrol. The police killed one of the criminals after an exchange of fire, while his accomplice managed to flee under the cover of gunfire. The body was later moved to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth for identification.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2014.
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