Killings: Violence erupts in ‘Jesus town’

Not enough policemen deployed in dangerous areas of the city.

KARACHI:

While violence in the rest of the city has conspicuously reduced, Essa Nagri (Jesus town), near Gulshane Iqbal’s Hasan Square,  witnessed a deadly wave of aggression. The area reverberated with gunfire at 8am on Saturday morning, which left 40-year-old Saeed Aqil critically injured. He was subsequently rushed to Aga Khan hospital. On Friday, at least two people including Dost Mohammad and Daniyal were killed in Jesus Town. Daniyal, who belongs to the Christian community, was also among the dead. Mohammad’s two brothers, Noor and Laal, also suffered injuries, while unloading vegetables from a Suzuki truck near the Chase department store when unknown gunmen opened fire on them, said SHO, Chaudhry Rehmat at Aziz Bhatti police station.

Police jurisdictions are demarcated in such a way that Dost Muhammad’s body, which was found on the main road came under the jurisdiction of the Aziz Bhatti police station, while the case for those found in the lane leading to Essa Nagri was lodged at PIB colony.

The PIB colony’s duty officer, Zakir, said that the violence in his area has left at least six people injured. However, there is hardly any presence of police or rangers present in Essa Nagri and its surrounding areas.

Area residents say that majority of the violence occurred near Micasa apartments. They say that two political parties are involved in a turf war amongst the apartments and the tiff has spread all the way to Sultan complex block. “Tension has been brewing in the area since the past six months and some people took advantage of the current wave of violence to kill others,” a resident said.

Christians have mainly been living in Essa Nagri. However, the area, which has a friary and a Church, has been attracted a number of families previously settled near Sabzi Mandi over the years. The place also houses many people from the northern areas. Essa Nagri’s communities have been co-existing peacefully since many years  and the area does not have a history of violence. However, the recent incidents of violence have shaken up the communities.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2011.