Fearless target killers active again in Karachi

Police, CTD fail to make any headway in recent cases probe

KARACHI:

The recent surge in highprofile target killings within the city has emerged as a formidable challenge for police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).

Over the past few months, the use of new and previously unseen weaponry has come to the light, raising concerns not only in the realm of street crime but also in the context of target killings.

Distinctive shell casings recovered from these major incidents have failed to match those found at earlier crime scenes, deepening the mystery. Despite the formation of a special CTD task force aimed at curbing arms smuggling, tangible success has remained elusive. A sprawling network facilitating the illegal sale and transport of firearms across the city continues to operate unchecked.

Moreover, efforts to root out sleeper cells affiliated with banned organisations have thus far proven ineffectual, with police and CTD showing minimal progress in this direction.

In light of the perceived incompetence of local law enforcement agencies, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has taken it upon itself to investigate high-profile target killings independently. Shockingly, during the last 15 days alone, the city has witnessed three major incidents of such killings.

On September 5, three educators, including Maulana Hafiz Qari Khurram Shehzad, were shot and injured. Tragically, Maulana Shehzad succumbed to his injuries on Sept 9 during treatment. Then, on the night of Sept 12, religious scholar Ziaur Rehman became another victim of targeted violence in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

The latest incident occurred on Sept 20 when unidentified armed suspects gunned down Sher Muhammad and wounded the mosque’s watchman, Abdul Quddoos, outside the Jamia Masjid Areeba in Scout Colony, Mubina Town.

Police officials have termed this incident as a target killing. Disturbingly, the police and CTD have made little headway in identifying and apprehending the culprits.