Karachi violence: Five more killed, death toll rises to 40

Violence claims more lives across the city, death toll rises to 40 in four days.

KARACHI:

Violence in Karachi claimed five more lives on Thursday, increasing the death toll to 40 in the past four days.

A firing incident in gang war infested Liyari claimed the life of a gangster from the Ghaffar Zikri group while in a separate incident, the body of a Zahid Gul was found behind Rainbow Center in Saddar. The deceased was abducted and shot dead.

Meanwhile on the other side of town, a firing incident in North Nazimabad claimed one life while two bodies were recovered in sacks near Saudabad Malir.

Earlier on Wednesday, at least four more people had died in Orangi, bringing the death toll of the ethnic violence in the area to 15.

Tension gripped Orangi and Old Sabzi Mandi due to incessant firing between two ethnic groups. Also, the police have put some areas on high alert where ethnic violence is expected.

In the first incident reported, a police constable who was later identified as Mohammad Arif, 40, was gunned down near his residence in Orangi Sector 5-F-2. Awami National Party claimed that the deceased was the brother of an active party worker, Asif, who is associated with ANP union council 6 Ward office in Site.

Separately, a dozen men stormed into an imambargah and killed its caretaker. Orangi SP Khurram Waris told The Express Tribune that the men first snatched the rifle from the policeman deployed there and later shot and killed caretaker Shahid Hussain Zaidi.

Another man who is yet to be identified was shot dead in Qasba Colony.

Also, the Orangi police found a gunny bag containing two men in a parked rickshaw near Noorani Park. One of them, 24-year-old Tahir Kareem was already dead but Akhtar, 28, was admitted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital with critical injuries. The police say both victims were shot multiple times.

In Qasba Colony, armed men ambushed a Site-A Section police mobile unit, injuring head constable Javed Shah.

Meanwhile, there were some reports that at least three houses and some vehicles had been torched, but SP Waris rebuffed them as rumours.

Moreover, at least six people including three Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists were injured during the shootouts in Orangi. MQM activists, Qadeer, Tahir and Sami and passersby Amir and Akhtar were taken to hospital.

Residents are confined to their homes. They say the Rangers check post set up at the hills is in the control of armed miscreants. “These terrorists have the latest weapons and they fire down at the Urdu-speaking settlement from atop the hill,” said a resident requesting anonymity. “They also have binoculars and telescopes to take out their targets. We are in such danger [for the last three days] but there is still no one coming to help us.”

Residents cannot even sleep at night due to the firing. “We are living in constant fear,” said another resident. “We are out of food supplies but we cannot even think about stepping outside,” he added. But he is grateful for one thing - he lives on the hilly areas, which saves him from many things. “If we were to go down, these people would first rob us and then beat us.”

Other killings, bodies found

At least five people including two MQM workers were killed in other parts of the city.

The Sharifabad police found a body of a young man from the Lyari Expressway. The victim’s body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he was identified as 25 -year-old Saad. Police officials say that he was affiliated with the All Pakistan Muttahida Student Organisation, MQM’s student wing. According to the police, he was kidnapped on Tuesday during a protest outside Liaquat National Hospital.

Similarly, a man named Haroon was killed and another, Farooq, was injured in Sector 5-C-2, New Karachi. Both the deceased and the injured were associated with MQM’s Unit 37, said the Ajmer Nagri police.

In Lyari, a man was shot dead near Khadda Market. Baghdadi SP Javed Baloch, while quoting witnesses, said that at least two armed men riding a motorcycle brought the victim with them to the crime scene - his hands tied - and then opened indiscriminate fire at him. According to the police, the victim has not been identified as yet but it seems that he belonged to the Katchi Rabita Committee.

Elsewhere, a body of an unidentified man was found in Korangi police limits. Another was found from near the Bacha Khan flyover.

Affected Orangi areas:

Qasba Colony

Qasba Mor

Bukhari Colony

Muslimabad

Kati Pahari

Kali Pahari

Urdu Chowk

Mohajir Chowk

Islam Chowk

Areas on high alert:

Abul Hasan Ispahani Road

Saddar

Empress Market

Shah Faisal Colony

Natha Khan Goth

Malir

Khokhrapar

Sohrab Goth

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2011.