ASI, ANP activist among 7 people killed; riots ensue

KARACHI: Riots broke out in Banaras, Orangi Town, after one ANP worker was killed and eleven people, including three ANP activists, were injured in separate incidents on Saturday. Police officials believe that the number of casualties may rise.

Just days after a hot-talking Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik swooped down on Karachi to admonish political parties on target killings, at least seven people were shot dead and the office of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) sub-committee was set ablaze on Saturday.

The violence started when an activist of the Awami National Party (ANP), Khalid Khan, was killed in Baldia Town, union council (UC) 7. As has been the modus operandi, unidentified armed men on motorcycles successfully shot him dead in a drive-by operation that took place so fast, no one could have done anything. His funeral and burial were held in the same area at 11:30 am. At the time of the funeral, most of the shops were closed.

“Khalid was an active member of the party,” confirmed Qadir Khan, an ANP spokesman. He did not name anyone as a suspect. “Currently, we are not in a position to say anything. However, it is a conspiracy to destroy peace in the city.”

Baldia SHO Rao Khalid confirmed that it was a targeted killing however, no FIR was lodged until the filing of this report. In the two previous spurts of violence, the police had cautioned that not every killing was a target killing.

As if in answer to the morning killing, at 1:40 pm, unidentified men burnt the unit office of the MQM’s organising committee in Baldia Town, UC 1. No one was at the office at the time so there were no casualties.

Naveed Khan, another ANP worker was injured in the Aligarh Bazaar in Banaras Chowk later Saturday. According to witnesses, he was sitting in front of a shop along with his friends Imran and Aleem when two men on a motorcycle arrived and shot him. His friends were also injured and had to be taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Separately, Mominabad ASI Zahoor Ahmad was killed by unidentified motorcyclists near Al-Sadaf intersection, Sector 10, Orangi Town.

The victim hailed from Jhelum and lived in Al Falah. He is survived by a wife and 10 children.

Ahmad’s body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities and the police said investigations are underway.

The body of 55-year-old Abdul Muneeb, son of Hussain Sheikh, was brought from Nazimabad to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. He was shot three times and was a victim of target killing, according to the police. Hospital officials said that Muneeb was Urdu-speaking.

In another incident, Muhammad Javed Sharif, was shot thrice when he was sitting at a workshop with his cousin at Ghas Bandar. Jackson police said he hailed from Rahim Yar Khan and had come to Karachi three days ago to get medical tests done before applying for a Saudi Arabian visa. He was staying with his cousin, Munib, who is a trolley driver by profession. Jackson SHO Humayun Khan said they were not sure about the exact reason for the killing. No FIR has been registered yet.

The body of a woman was found in front of Lal Masjid in FC area, Liaquatabad, on Saturday. Police suspect she was a house maid but they could not identify her. The body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The police found a man’s body near the Meera Naka bridge in front of a bank. They quoted residents as saying that his body was thrown from a moving vehicle. According to the police, the victim is believed to be of Baloch origin.

At least 82 people have lost their lives in target killings across the city in the month of July.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2010.