Traffic in the city remained thin as public transport remained off the roads and most people preferred remaining indoors. Educational institutions also remained closed on the instructions of the Sindh government. Fear gripped the city, especially in the affected areas which included Orangi Town, Sharah Noor Jehan, Shah Faisal Colony, Landhi, Nazimabad, Paposh Nagar, Surjani Town, Sohrab Goth, Saddar, Quaidabad and Abul Hassan Ispahani Road.
At the same time, protests were staged in many localities against the targeted killings, including in Banaras, Qasba Colony and Sultanabad areas. The first targeted shooting of the day took place in early hours of Thursday at Abbas Town on Abul Hassan Isphani Road where gunmen shot dead two young men sitting outside their homes. The victims were identified as Nasir Ali, 25, and Rashid, 27. Both died on the spot. Their bodies were handed over to their families after completion of legal formalities.
Nasir was from Gilgit, while Rashid belonged to southern Punjab. Shortly after, Sajid Karim, 18, said to be an MQM sympathiser, was gunned down near the Powerhouse Graveyard in Block 22 of the Federal B Area in the limits of Taimuria police station. Police said that he used to live in a house in Block 19 and was going home when he was shot dead. Police also said that the brother of the deceased “is an activist of MQM”. A police constable, Asadullah, who worked in the Garden police station, was also killed in the limits of Risala police station. Police said he was shot and injured near Ranchore Lines. He was taken to a hospital where he died.
An unidentified bullet-riddled body was found near the last bus stop of W-18 wagon in the limits of Surjani police station. Another unidentified body was found from Maripur Road . Vegetable vendor Bakhti Mohammad, 35, was gunned down in the main market of Orangi Town’s Block 5. Meanwhile, police have registered cases regarding the recent targeted killings. Most of the cases were filed on behalf of the state.
Meanwhile, a high-level meeting held under the Sindh Home Minister, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, was informed that police have detained 291 people over the past two days. Late on Thursday night, three ore people were reported to have been killed in varios areas. A joint crackdown was launched in an under-construction building site named the Iqra City on the Abul Hassan Ispahani Road in which 10 people arrested.
Published in the Express Tribune, May 21st, 2010.
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